German interior minister warns of cyber threat ahead of elections

Germany must bolster its defences against cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns, particularly out of Russia, as it prepares for snap elections in the coming months, the interior minister warned on Tuesday.

"We must also protect our democracy in the digital world," Nancy Faeser said in a statement upon publication of the Federal Office for Information Security's annual report.

"We must arm ourselves against threats from hacker attacks, manipulation and disinformation. These hybrid threats come primarily from [President Vladimir] Putin's regime in Russia, but also from other actors," Faeser added, vowing to strengthen protective measures.

The minister's government is headed for elections early next year, after Social Democrat Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition collapsed at a time of economic slowdown and surging support for populist politicians.

The agency's report said no significant cybersecurity incidents occurred when German voters went to the polls in 2024 for EU and state elections, but that the situation was being monitored "in an adapted and situation-specific manner" with a view towards the upcoming national elections.