Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – The parliamentary control committee, which deals with the work of the state protection of the constitution, will meet in public once a year in the future. That was decided by the state parliament in Stuttgart on Wednesday. The Greens interior expert Oliver Hildenbrand, who is also chairman of the control committee, was pleased with the decision: “Especially at a time when our democracy and our freedom are being increasingly attacked and threatened, this is an important signal. Because the protection of the constitution is never just a task for the authorities, but also always a task for society as a whole.” He suggested presenting and discussing the report of the state office in future in a public session.
The control body has been anchored in the State Constitutional Protection Act since 2015. The secret service has to report on its activities at least once every three months – until now always behind closed doors. The body also has the right to inspect files, the right of access to the offices and the right to question members of the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The parliamentary control body also reports regularly to the state parliament on its control activities.
