Marc Henrichmann, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Control Panel in the Bundestag (PKGr) and a CDU member, stated that if the AfD were to form a state government, it might be possible to exclude that state’s constitutional protection agency from the exchange of intelligence information.
Speaking to the Tagesspiegel, Henrichmann noted that when dealing with constitutionally questionable parties like the AfD, it is necessary to weigh how much cooperation between the various constitutional protection offices can still be maintained. His primary concern is ensuring that sensitive intelligence does not leak. Should such a risk arise, constitutional courts would play a central role in the process. He emphasized that while a single political party cannot unilaterally overturn the country’s structures, democratic safeguards exist.
The PKGr chairman believes that removing information from the system is the wrong approach, stressing that all authorities rely on comprehensive data exchange. However, he acknowledged that the question is whether one single recipient could be completely decoupled from the system. This, according to Henrichmann, is possible, though it always presents a necessary balancing act between security and operational capacity. If doubt exists, the responsibility for handling sensitive information shifts from the state government down to the institutions below it; consequently, individual agencies and civil servants become even more accountable for their decisions.
