Sir , – German chancellor Angela Merkel has told the Bundestag that it was not until 2015 that she learned that a German intelligence agency had for years spied on other governments and institutions ("'I knew nothing' of German spying on its allies, Merkel tells inquiry", February 17th).
If Mrs Merkel’s statement is correct, the question arises whether she is still able to run a tight ship. The BND intelligence agency is supervised by the German chancellery. Why did this supervision fail so blatantly? Why could the BND act without controls for years?
If, on the other hand, Mrs Merkel’s statement was not correct, she would have misled parliament, to which she as chancellor is directly responsible under articles 67 and 68 of the German constitution.
Neither alternative casts a favourable light on the state of German politics. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL PFEIFFER,
Neuhausen auf den Fildern,
Germany.