Here is an excerpt from:
“Public Hearing of the Presidents of the Federal Intelligence Services” (Monday, October 17, 2022, Berlin, Paul-Löbe-Haus) in accordance with Section 10 (3) PKGrG (bundestag.de)
Thomas Haldenwang, President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution:
“Autocracy versus democracy. And what Russia is currently doing in Germany has democracy-destroying relevance… Apart from that, every topic is used for propaganda and disinformation that is suitable to divide society… And that is now this current development on the energy market, the rising prices, inflation… And here Russia uses all the possible means to influence… such as influencers who are on Moscow’s pay list somewhere…
It is important to react to this… The federal government has done this… And the recommendation to the citizens would be: Please do not inform yourselves one-sidedly in the media bubbles you have known so far, but use a broad range of media… Then you will get a clearer picture of what is happening in the world.
Briefly on the conspiratorial stories…: The citizen won’t notice too much… That’s our job, to analyse it: … Where are the attempts at contact, where is classical espionage taking place…?
There is also a danger that there will be much more observation of the opposition. And that possibly also energetic action against opposition members, up to and including killing, appears conceivable.”