Report: German Foreign Intelligence Service understaffed
The BND aims to present itself more transparently to the public. However, unpleasant details about the agency are now coming to light. Hundreds of positions are reportedly not filled at the German Foreign Intelligence Service.
Hundreds of positions are said to be vacant at the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND). According to the "Bild" newspaper, 6500 men and women currently work at the German intelligence agency, but 700 positions are unoccupied. The paper also reportedly criticized the claim that employees could work from home. In their own offices, the civil servants allegedly have no access to files or their work computers.
Moreover, the BND lamented a high staff sickness rate. Over 1000 employees reportedly took 30 or more sick days. Additionally, the BND's rotation principle was problematic. Experts were reportedly deployed in unfamiliar areas.
Just a few days ago, the BND had announced that it would open itself up more to the public. According to BND President Bruno Kahl, the visitor center of the German Foreign Intelligence Service in Berlin would be open to visitors from August 6 without the previously required group registration. Kahl announced this at the expansion ceremony of the center.
Since the opening of the visitor center five years ago, several tens of thousands of citizens have been informed about the tasks, topics, powers, methods, and control of the Bundesnachrichtendienst in registered groups.
The visitor center is an essential part of the "transparency, which we naturally also hope will earn us a supplement of legitimacy, trust," explained Kahl. The aim was to alleviate objections against the BND, to arouse understanding for the mandate and methods, and to present "ourselves as a competent, performance-strong, and reliable service provider to the Federal Government."
The visitor center was inaugurated in November 2019. So far, only groups with at least 20 members have been granted access, which must register. Now, the concept has been revised. From August 6 in Berlin-Mitte, the visitor center is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, free of charge. The center is part of the BND's personnel recruitment - the service competes with financially powerful private companies in the search for expertise.
The vacancies at the BND might raise concerns about its capabilities, especially given the role of secret services in politics. These empty positions could potentially weaken the BND's intelligence gathering abilities, impacting Germany's national security.
Despite the BND's efforts to boost transparency, allegations of internal issues within the agency have been brought forward by certain media outlets, casting a shadow on the BND's secret service operations.
