The Bundestag debates reform of the intelligence services and new regulations on organ donation for the first time

On Thursday, the Bundestag will debate for the first time the coalition's plans for a comprehensive reform of the intelligence services and a possible new regulation of organ donation. Draft laws to increase tobacco taxes and make driving licenses cheaper are also before the plenary session for initial discussion.

With the reform of the intelligence services, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) plans to expand the powers of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). In the future, they should not only be able to observe attackers, but also actively combat them. In addition, the services should be allowed to disrupt the infrastructure of attackers and spread false information specifically directed against them. The options for collecting and evaluating data are also being expanded.

The government justifies the step with foreign policy threats and comparable regulations in friendly countries, which Germany has so far lagged behind in terms of its capabilities. The Green and Left factions as well as the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection clearly criticized the plans. FDP party leader Wolfgang Kubicki accused the federal government of “breaking a historic taboo.”

Organ donation should be reregulated

Afterwards, the MPs will discuss a cross-party initiative to revise organ donation in the first reading. It aims to ensure that in future anyone who does not expressly object to this will be eligible to become an organ donor. The objection rules are intended to increase the number of urgently needed organ donations. More than 200 MPs support the initiative. Union parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei (CDU), among others, recently spoke out in favor of it.