Friedrich Merz: German intelligence today on par with Mossad and MI5

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on September 18, 2026, that Germany's intelligence services have reached capabilities comparable to agencies such as Israel's Mossad and the United Kingdom's MI5.

Speaking at a Konrad Adenauer Foundation event in Berlin, Merz argued that foreign intelligence agencies now see German services as more attractive partners than ever. "They come to us and ask: what is happening here and what can we do together?" he said, adding that "Today we play on an equal footing with them."

Reforms, legal changes and cyber operations

Merz said the government intends to complete parliamentary reforms for the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution by the end of the year, creating more operationally capable services. He described the changes as a rapid catch-up that places Germany alongside countries that have long had such capabilities.

The chancellor recounted an example from about six months earlier when German services acted against what he described as "a large network of hackers in Russia." He said he and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt sought and obtained approval from the Basic Court in Wiesbaden for that operation. "We received the ruling, carried out the operation and, with our capacities, disabled an extensive network of hardware and software in Russia," Merz said.

To address long-term legal needs for such operations, Merz said new legislation is being prepared for the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and for the BND. He stressed that, even after the reforms, Germany will not grant its services the broad authorities held by agencies like Mossad or the US Central Intelligence Agency.

Merz also warned of hybrid threats, including those originating from Russia, and framed the intelligence upgrades as necessary to protect freedom.

Photo: press material from the event