Attack on Christmas market: Questions about Magdeburg’s death trip need to be answered

After the fatal attack in Magdeburg, domestic politicians in the Bundestag should be informed about possible failures by the authorities. Expected to be in the Interior Committee today include Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Münch, Vice President for the Protection of the Constitution Sinan Selen and Magdeburg Mayor Simone Borris.

The perpetrator had been noticed beforehand

Even before his death drive, the Magdeburg attacker, Taleb A., was in the sights of security authorities. Now it needs to be clarified how the 50-year-old man was able to drive a car through the Christmas market, killing five people and injuring around 230. The man, who is in custody, drove between a pedestrian traffic light and a concrete barrier.

The MPs are not only focusing on possible mishaps by the authorities in securing the market. It is also about whether something was missed given the perpetrator’s previous abnormalities. The focus is on the exchange of information between different government agencies.

Concern about safety on New Year’s Eve

The parliamentary control committee meets beforehand. The committee is responsible for monitoring the federal intelligence services. It meets in secret in a special room in one of the Bundestag buildings. Parliamentarians sometimes make short statements after a meeting.

Shortly before New Year’s Eve, the safety of citizens also remains in focus. Faeser told the German Press Agency in Berlin: “Our security authorities are monitoring the situation with great vigilance.” This is especially true after the attack. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had called for a “turning point” for more internal security.

Processing and clarification

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil called for a consistent and ruthless investigation into the attack. Everything has to be on the table, he told the newspapers of the Funke media group. Klingbeil offered to pass stricter security laws before the federal election. Police and security authorities need every opportunity to ensure security.

The Greens expect information about the background. The exact sequence of events before, during and after the crime, the information flows and responsibilities must be presented in detail, said the Parliamentary Managing Director, Irene Mihalic, to the Editorial Network Germany (RND). Processing is important for the relatives and injured people and for the public. According to the politician, this requires more than one committee meeting.

The Green Party interior expert Konstantin von Notz also called for appropriate clarification. This is important “before you start the hundredth debate about tightening penalties and expanding powers,” he told the “Rheinische Post”. Green Party leader Franziska Brantner had already called for better exchange of information in the “Welt”, including between the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the police, as well as between the states.

Migration policy and concerns among migrants

Migration policy is also still an issue. Taleb A. is a doctor from Bernburg, south of Magdeburg, comes from Saudi Arabia and has lived in Germany since 2006. In 2016 he received asylum as a politically persecuted person. He had attracted attention in recent years due to threats. Klngbeil said: “Anyone who threatens terrorist attacks loses the right to stay in Germany.” At the same time, the SPD leader warned against mixing security and migration issues.

In Saxony-Anhalt, people with a migrant background are worried about further attacks after several physical attacks. Church representatives complained that migrants were afraid of being attacked. In Magdeburg, many people continue to show their compassion. A city donation account collected more than 600,000 euros for victims and their families.