Stephan Kramer, President of the Thuringian Office for Constitutional Protection, has called for a review of security practices within the Bundestag following an AfD Member of Parliament’s trip to St. Petersburg.
Referring in part to MP Markus Frohnmaier’s recent visit to the economic forum in St. Petersburg, Kramer stated that while FoHNmaier’s connections to Kremlin circles do not constitute evidence of treason, they present a “significant abstraction and influence risk.” He advised the Bundestag to examine how information requiring secrecy can be better protected within committees on a risk-based approach, without unfairly restricting members’ rights.
The constitutional protection chief noted that contacts with sanctioned Kremlin-adjacent actors increase the danger of what he terms “entrenchment”-the possibility that interactions could establish connections later used for political manipulation or intelligence gathering.
However, Kramer also addressed the limitations of state security oversight regarding parliamentarians. He explained that due to their mandate, Diet members are considered “inherent bearers of secrecy,” and subjecting them to a standard government security examination, like those required for civil servants, is fundamentally excluded to protect their freedom of mandate. Regardless, he warned this creates a loophole when representatives unintentionally or intentionally maintain close relationships with actors from opposing intelligence and influence structures.
Kramer emphasized that even without prior security clearance, MPs are legally obligated to uphold confidentiality and state secrets. He reminded the public that criminal sanctions apply in cases of treason, and further noted that these members do not possess unlimited access to classified materials, pointing out specific rules governing sensitive handling within parliamentary control bodies.
