Stephan Kramer: The services of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution are not sufficiently appreciated

Berlin. Stephan Kramer, President of the Thuringian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, believes that the domestic intelligence agency's achievements are not sufficiently recognized by politicians and society in light of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's 75th anniversary.

"The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, both at the federal and state levels, looks back on a turbulent history, with successes, defeats, and sometimes even scandals that have shaken trust to its core," he told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), alluding, among other things, to the National Socialist Underground (NSU) scandal and former Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution President Hans-Georg Maaßen. "However, the members of the agency have done a great deal in recent years to regain trust and learn from mistakes. For this, the employees deserve thanks and recognition from politicians and society, which they unfortunately rarely receive."

Even the Federal Constitutional Court emphasized the importance of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as an essential part of a resilient democracy. "That was a good thing."

Kramer continued: "In view of the current hybrid threats from outside, which place a heavy burden on the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and the danger to our democracy from within, we must reorient ourselves and combat both analog and digital threats in the 21st century. The existing security architecture and the applicable powers must be scrutinized and seriously reformed and adapted in light of current and future threats."