The Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK) in Bremen provided important impetus for the further development of internal security in Germany. The discussions between the federal states focused primarily on hybrid threat scenarios, the defence against unmanned systems and dealing with extremists. Interior Minister Christian Pegel emphasised that the results would lead to stronger cross-state cooperation and clearer principles in security management.
A key topic was the increasing significance of hybrid threats – an area in which security authorities are currently confronted with highly dynamic developments. The federal and state governments therefore want to significantly deepen their cooperation. The plan is to develop common standards, uniform situation reports and clearly defined reporting channels. This should ensure that authorities can respond to new risks at an early stage and coordinate their response measures nationwide. Closer cooperation is also considered necessary in the area of drone defence, as technical advances make attacks with unmanned systems more likely and increase the need for coordinated protective measures.
Another focus was on dealing with individuals who hold extremist or anti-constitutional views. The federal states support the goal of more clearly defining reliability in terms of firearms legislation. In future, legal requirements are to be adapted so that gun ownership can be denied or revoked more quickly if there are indications of extremist activities. For the authorities, this means clearer criteria and greater certainty in their actions. Pegel emphasised that individuals with anti-constitutional views should not be allowed access to weapons and that the legal basis for this would be tightened accordingly.
In addition to political security issues, the IMK also addressed the increasing violence in football stadiums. Representatives of the federal states, the German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League (DFL) had already held intensive negotiations in advance. The result of these talks is the establishment of a Central Stadium Ban Commission at the DFB. It is to act as a higher authority to which clubs and authorities can refer decisions for review. The aim is to create a uniform and transparent decision-making process that reduces the burden on day-to-day operations and establishes clear criteria for stadium bans. The federal states emphasise that a lively fan culture is welcome – but that organised violence has no place in football.
The conference made it clear that the federal and state governments face a wide range of security policy challenges. At the same time, it signalled a clear willingness to jointly develop structures, standards and procedures. Further discussions and initiatives are to follow in order to strengthen security in Germany in the long term.
