Hackers have carried out a major attack on Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union, the Interior Ministry confirmed on Saturday.
The ministry did not provide any further information on the scale or nature of the attack, which is being investigated by Germany’s domestic security agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
“However, the nature of the attack points to a highly professional actor,” a spokesperson said.
The incident – a week before the European Parliament elections – is being taken very seriously, according to sources close to the government.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has reportedly been in contact with CDU party leader Friedrich Merz.
The CDU, the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, said it was working closely with German security authorities and other external experts.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution will issue a warning to all parties in the German parliament on Saturday, the Interior Ministry spokesman said.
“Our security authorities have stepped up all protective measures against digital and hybrid threats and are providing information about the dangers. We see again how necessary this is, especially before the elections,” he added.
Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) also fell victim to a cyber attack last year, in which email accounts were hacked. The government blamed a Russian military intelligence unit for the hack and summoned a senior Russian diplomat to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin.
German companies from the logistics, defense, aerospace and IT services sectors were also victims of the attack last year. According to the SPD, the source was an unknown security issue related to Microsoft software.
