10/27/2025October 27, 2025
German intelligence chief warns of rising espionage on landmark anniversary
Germany’s domestic intelligence chief Sinan Selen has described espionage and sabotage as among the biggest current threats facing the country, according to remarks published by the German news agency DPA.
Selen said the security situation had shifted and intensified over the past decade, requiring greater focus and prioritization by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
The Cologne-based agency, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary on Monday with a ceremony at Germany’s Interior Ministry in Berlin.
Selen said the agency’s main concerns included multipolar threats, espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, international terrorism, and violent extremism. Early identification of networks, activities, and key figures behind them would be essential, he noted.
Founded in 1950 amid Cold War tensions, the BfV was established to safeguard Germany’s democratic order and was deliberately barred from police powers due to historical concerns. The agency continues to cooperate with police through joint counterterrorism and extremism centers in Berlin.
Reflecting on past failures, Selen acknowledged that the agency’s history included controversies such as the 2011 destruction of files related to the neo-Nazi NSU murders, which led to the resignation of then-President Heinz Fromm.
He also addressed the agency’s current monitoring of political parties, noting that while tensions with the socialist Left Party persisted, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) faced the most scrutiny. The BfV had classified the AfD in May as a “confirmed right-wing extremist organization,” but suspended the designation pending a court decision after the party filed a legal challenge.
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