On the paradox of parliamentary control over services operating secretly

A better parliamentary control of intelligence services should be a top priority for states seeking to re-establish their citizens’ trust, which was dramatically damaged by the Snowden revelations. In times of mass surveillance via the internet, states should demonstrate a serious will and sufficient means to control effectively their intelligence and protect citizens’ privacy with democratic means. There is a public consensus on that need, at least on a discursive level, and we hear many suggestions for how to improve the parliamentary control over intelligence services, many of them calling for better resources in terms of time and staff. But how helpful can they be if a central characteristic of parliamentary control of intelligence services - secrecy - remains unchallenged?