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Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by Matthew Moore
00:15 Johannes Fechner (SPD) | Member of Parliament
00:51 Johannes Fechner (SPD) | Member of Parliament
01:44 Konstantin von Notz (Greens) | Bundestag Oversight Committee
01:58 Stephan Brandner (AfD) | Member of Parliament
02:23 Johannes Fechner (SPD) | Member of Parliament
02:31 Stephan Brandner (AfD) | Member of Parliament

Script:

The Bundestag: the heart of German democracy.   

Everyday thousands of people come and go here.   

Some come to work, or join a tour.  

Others are allegedly on a mission...  

++++Johannes Fechner (SPD) Member of Parliament+++ 
We have had cases of espionage in which foreign agents have obtained information in the Bundestag, and we must put a stop to this.  

While proven spying cases are rare. 
 
Alarm bells went off earlier this year when one of a select group of lawmakers with access to top state secrets said he would restrict access to his office – for cleaners 

Die Zeit newspaper reported cleaning staff sharing cards to access buildings, and security waving them in, without IDs. 

Johannes Fechner of the Social Democrats is also concerned about who has access.   

++++Johannes Fechner (SPD), Member of Parliament+++  
The vast majority will be decent and fair without us having to worry about it. But there is a danger that agents could sneak in here. That is why we will have to tighten controls measures to be safe.”  

Lawmaker warn that the main threat was from Russia.  

((afd in bundestag)) 

But that far-right lawmakers also posed a risk – because of links to foreign states and extremist networks at home.   

((archive))  

((foto birgit malsack-winkelmann))  

A former AfD MP is on trial accused of being part of a plot to violently overthrow democracy.  
 
Birgit Malsack-Winkelmann is said to have used privileged access to scope out parliament. 

((afd fraktioN))  
 
Then there is sitting AfD lawmaker Maximilian Krah, whose former aide has been charged with spying for China.    

((afd in parliament)) 

Despite all that the AfD has doubled its seats in Parliament. 

((von notz bilder))  

Some say this underlines the need for more thorough background checks.    

Konstantin von Notz (Greens), Member of Parliament
“When you have extremists in the Bundestag building, you have to improve the security regulations to better protect yourself.  

The AfD reject such claims. 

++++Stephan Brandner (AfD), Member of Parliament+++ 
“I would say that it's the other way round, as the saying goes, we are the guardians of democracy, the Alternative for Germany, we are the ones who actively live and defend the fundamental rights of our Basic Law.” 

((Bilder von malte))  

The new government is planning to expand the powers of the Bundestag police.   

That would allow them to combat physical threats to parliament and gather intelligence from other agencies.  

++++Johannes Fechner (SPD), Member of Parliament+++
We have to catch up. We need to know who's in this house.  

The AfD is concerned that strengthening police power could be used against them.  

+++Stephan Brandtner (AfD) Member of Parliament+++ 
So far there is no legal basis for this, which was an issue in the last legislative period, but we have great fears that it will impair the opposition's work.// 

((Bisher gibt es da keine rechtliche Grundlage für das war in der letzten Wahlperiode Thema, allerdings haben wir große Befürchtungen, dass es die Oppositionsarbeit beeinträchtigen soll,  

If nothing else, the matter has renewed not only the debate about access to parliament but about defending democracy - and from whom?