Thorsten Wetzling directs the Privacy Project of the Berlin-based think tank Stiftung Neue Verantwortung. His current research and advocacy focuses on the democratization and professionalization of intelligence governance in Germany and Europe. Previously, Thorsten worked as Senior Fellow at the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security, The Hague Institute for Global Justice and as Advisor for the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). As Transatlantic Post-Doc Fellow for International Relations and Security (TAPIR), Thorsten also conducted surveillance policy research at the French Institute for International Relations (ifri) in Paris and the RAND Corporation and the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. Thorsten testified before the European Parliament and the Bundestag on intelligence legislation and his recent work appeared in various German media outlets, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Spiegel, Zeit Online, Frankfurter Rundschau and Handelsblatt. Thorsten holds a doctorate degree in political science from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.
Recent Publications:
- Wetzling, Thorsten (2016). The key to intelligence reform in Germany: Strengthening the G10 Commission’s role to authorize strategic surveillance. Policy Brief 02/16 (Berlin: Stiftung Neue Verantwortung)
- Frans-Paul van der Putten, Thorsten Wetzling, Susanne Kamerling (2014): Geopolitics and Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: What role for the European Union? Policy Brief. The Hague Institute for Global Justice / Clingendael – Netherlands Institute of International Relations.
- Thorsten Wetzling and Stefan Heuman (2014): Strategische Auslandsüberwachung: Technische Möglichkeiten, rechtlicher Rahmen und parlamentarische Kontrolle. Policy Brief. (Berlin: stiftung neue verantwortung). Reviewed and discussed by zeit.de and www.netzpolitik.de
- Wetzling, Thorsten (2014). “Das Geheimnis der Geheimdienstkontrolle” [The Secret of Intelligence Oversight], Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik, Issue 2/2014, pp.57-62. Available online at: blaetter.de
- Wetzling, Thorsten and Jill Coster van Voorhout. (2013). The Brics Development Bank: A partner for the Post-2015 Agenda? Policy Brief No. 7. (The Hague: The Hague Institute for Global Justice). Available online at: thehagueinstitute.org
- Wetzling, Thorsten (2013). “No such thing as internet freedom, says your virtual landlord” in: Green European Journal. Available at: greeneuropeanjournal.eu
- Wetzling, Thorsten. (2012). “EU-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation: What role for what rule of law?”, in Patryk Pawlak (ed.), Beyond terrorism and privacy. The EU-U.S. security and justice agenda in action. Chaillot Paper Nr. 127. (Paris: The European Union Institute for Security Studies). Available online at www.iss.europa.eu