In light of an escalating security situation caused by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) warned that the Reichstag building in Berlin, with its iconic dome, could become a target for drone attacks.
During interviews with the Funke media group’s Sunday papers, Klöckner said, “I do not want to stir panic, but the threat from drones is real – just look at our neighbour Poland. Daily, many citizens and guests visit the Reichstag. Many of them also want to see the dome and the roof terrace”. She noted that the German parliament is the most visited in the world, welcoming two million visitors a year.
Klöckner called for clear assignments regarding who has the authority and the technical capacity to neutralise a drone hovering over Berlin’s government quarter. “Imagine this: someone plans an attack on the glass dome and launches a drone from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, just a few hundred meters away. The Federal Police are responsible for defence there” she explained. “If the drone takes a curve toward the Chancellery, the State of Berlin is responsible in the meantime, and directly over the Chancellery the Federal Criminal Police Office takes over. If it flies over to us, again the State of Berlin is responsible”. She added she is in contact with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who has taken the issue seriously. “In a real emergency, decisions must be made immediately” she urged. When asked whether there were concrete attack warnings from security agencies, she said, “I would not discuss that publicly”.
Klöckner also stressed that threats to the parliament come not only from outside but from within. A dedicated Bundestag Police Act is under preparation by the parties. As president, she supervises about 200 police officers who exercise sovereign authority in the parliamentary buildings. “Our police need to receive information from intelligence services if someone who intends to enter the Bundestag is identified as a threat or has already attracted attention in a constitution‑endangering way – a legal basis for that is currently missing”. Knowing who enters and exits the Bundestag is essential, she said.
