German police say AfD membership incompatible with service – DW – 06/10/2025
Skip next section German court to hear case on right-wing extremist magazine ban
06/10/2025
June 10, 2025 German court to hear case on right-wing extremist magazine ban
The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig is set to hear a case regarding the ban on the right-wing extremist magazine Compact.
In August, the Federal Administrative Court temporarily lifted the ban on the magazine, which was issued by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD).
The court expressed particular doubts about the ban's proportionality. This allowed the magazine, which was based in Brandenburg at the time, to resume publication under certain conditions.
The Interior Ministry first banned Compact in mid-July, describing the publication as a "central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene."
In response, Compact filed a lawsuit and an urgent motion against the immediate enforcement of the ban.
The final decision is now pending in the main proceedings.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Germany: Racism against Sinti and Roma increasing – DW – 06/23/2025
A new report about antiziganism in Germany has revealed alarming figures — and criticized the media for feeding clichés. But the community is counting small successes. Sinti and Roma are especially affected by prejudice, discrimination, racism, according to the Antiziganism Reporting and Information Center in Germany (MIA), which has documented the nature and scale of antiziganism in Germany in its latest annual report. The report recorded 1,678 antiziganism cases in 2024, ranging from verbal abuse to assaults — a significant increase on the 621 reported in its first edition, published for the year 2022. "The incidents documented in this report clearly show that verbal stigmatization and antiziganism propaganda paves the way for discrimination and for physical attacks up to life-threatening violence," Mehmet Daimagüler, Germany's first ever federal commissioner against antiziganism, wrote in the foreword. A lawyer by profession, Daimagüler was appointed in 2022, but was replaced by the new German government in June this year with Michael Brand, a member of the Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and state secretary at the Family Ministry, which supported the MIA report. Brand took over the office in difficult times. "It is absolutely clear, in light of the increase in extremism fanned from within and outside Germany, that we must now especially protect minorities such as the Sinti and Roma from the effects of extremism and discrimination," the conservative politician said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The significantly higher number of antiziganist incidents can be attributed to the growing awareness of the MIA's work. But beyond the raw figures, the report shows that those affected are reporting a generally hostile atmosphere. The almost 70-page report includes numerous concrete examples of degrading, sometimes violent discrimination: In one incident caught on camera, a Sinti boy who was bullied in school was held down by several boys after school one day, tied to a bench and beaten. According to the report, the incident escalated further when the parents of the boy and two of their relatives confronted the parents of the perpetrators: Several people joined the row and attacked the Sinti family, one of whom suffered a broken foot. Another was threatened with a knife and injured. A study has shown that such excesses are occurring repeatedly in German kindergartens and schools. The root of this development is what the MIA calls an increasingly hostile political debate: "The MIA observes that anti-Roma and Sinti statements, especially by right-wing parties, are poisoning the social climate." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Romani Rose, who has headed the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma since 1982, draws a pessimistic conclusion in the MIA report. "Unfortunately, we must acknowledge that despite our almost 50 years of political work in this country, a change in consciousness has only just begun," he said. Rose also recalled the systematic extermination of his ethnic group by the National Socialists. By the end of the Second World War, more than half a million Sinti and Roma throughout Europe had been persecuted or murdered. Today, an estimated 80,000 – 140,000 live in Germany. Europe-wide, their population numbers between 10 and 12 million. The MIA also blamed the media for shaping the clichéd image of Sinti and Roma. Distorted or false portrayals are found in commercial media outlets and public service broadcasters alike, the report found, and there have been more frequent complaints about stigmatizing or false depictions. One documented case concerned the supposed large-scale misuse of public funds by Roma allegedly posing as Ukrainian refugees: "More than 5,000 cases of social fraud via fake Ukrainians," read a March 2024 article published by the Ippen media group, which appeared on numerous German news outlets. The background to the text was stories circulating shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine about people said to have posed as refugees. According to the MIA report, this was a typical case of media failure, as the story was specifically directed against Roma, who were accused either of travelling to Germany with forged Ukrainian passports or concealing possible Ukrainian-Hungarian dual citizenship. In fact, Ukrainian Romani people have suffered discrimination in Germany. The publishing of the report in the newspaper was the trigger for a successful complaint to the German Press Council, the self-regulating body for Germany's print media and their online channels. According to the council, the reports violated fundamental journalistic principles: Instead of scrutinizing the numbers, other media outlets were simply taken as a source. The council went on to condemn the story on three counts: Violating journalistic due diligence, the non-discrimination rule, and disregarding the presumption of innocence. Due to limited resources, the MIA is still unable to carry out its own systematic media monitoring: "Nevertheless, we closely follow the discourse and developments in media coverage," the organization's annual report said. The MIA welcomed the fact that the post of an antiziganism federal commissioner had been retained after all — something that had been in doubt because there was no commitment to the post in the coalition agreement of Germany's new federal government. Now the MIA team can breathe a sigh of relief and appeal to policymakers to strengthen the office with the appropriate resources and personnel. The initial statements by the new antiziganism commissioner are likely to raise hopes in the Sinti and Roma community: "Where discrimination occurs, it must be clearly and decisively confronted – by the state and society alike," emphasized Brand, adding: "It is important to me to also highlight the many positive examples of cooperation between the majority society and minorities." While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.
DW
4 hours ago
- DW
Most Germans want independent European nuclear deterrent – DW – 06/23/2025
A majority of Germans have backed calls for an independent nuclear deterrent to shield Europe. The poll shows broad support for reducing reliance on the US amid growing unease. Follow DW for the latest news from Germany. Nearly two-thirds of Germans now back the idea of a European nuclear deterrent that doesn't rely on the US, according to a new Forsa poll. Support stands at 64%, with solid backing across age groups, regions, and party lines — something rare in German foreign policy debates. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had already floated the idea before taking office, eyeing talks with France and the UK to build a joint nuclear strategy for Europe amid Trump-era uncertainty. from a cloudy . Welcome to DW's coverage of developments in Germany on Monday, June 23. A study has found that most Germans are in favor of Europe developing a nuclear deterrent that is independent of the United States. Almost two-thirds of people who were asked said they were in favor of a shared nuclear strategy for Europe. The aim would be to reduce Europe's reliance on the US nuclear umbrella, especially amid concerns over the unpredictability of President Donald Trump. Stay with us here to keep up with the latest news from Germany.
Local Germany
4 hours ago
- Local Germany
How will Germany's extra border checks impact travel this summer?
What's happening? Germany has had reinforced border checks in place at all land borders since autumn 2024. This shift was initially introduced under then-Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) as a temporary six-month measure. The checks are aimed at enforcing the new government's policy of pushing back anyone trying to enter Germany without the necessary documents, including most asylum seekers. However, since the government changed in spring 2025, Faeser's successor, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), has significantly expanded the policy. Germany now carries out checks at all land borders. Hundreds of additional police officers have been stationed at key crossings, particularly busy ones such as Frankfurt an der Oder (Poland) and Kiefersfelden (Austria). The new measures include mobile units and temporary checkpoints, including at minor crossings. These changes are expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future. Advertisement Every land border is affected. German authorities have imposed additional checks at the borders with France , Denmark , Belgium , the Netherlands , Luxembourg , Poland , the Czech Republic and Switzerland . In addition, Germany has been carrying out spot checks at the border with Austria since 2015. READ ALSO: Which European countries currently have extra border checks in place? The enhanced checks mean many travellers going into Germany are asked to present documents – a situation the creation of the borderless Schengen Area was meant to avoid. What about Germany's neighbours? Two states bordering Germany have imposed similar restrictions. In the Netherlands , Dutch authorities are conducting random checks along the border with Germany. Checks also occur on some international trains and flights. In France , authorities have imposed random checks on travellers entering by road, air, rail and sea. Advertisement Free movement continues into Germany's seven other neighbours, according to the EU Commission . In practice, that means that travellers coming from Denmark , Belgium , Luxembourg , Poland , the Czech Republic , Austria and Switzerland will likely only be checked going into Germany. What do the enhanced checks mean for me? Travellers planning a holiday abroad this summer should expect identity checks and delays, particularly if travelling by land. Commuters and frequent travellers may face delays, especially at major crossings during peak times. Wait times of over 30 minutes at road crossings are becoming increasingly common, according to motoring groups. Major delays have been reported at road crossings including: Suben (Austria) Walserberg (Austria) Kehl (France) Breitenau/Schönwald (Czech Republic) Frankfurt an der Oder (Poland) Konstanz (Switzerland) Even smaller border towns like Selb, Schirnding, and Waidhaus (all on the Czech border) are seeing longer wait times. Trains may also be stopped at the border, while arrivals on flights from Schengen countries may also be checked. What documents do I need? If stopped, you'll need to present a passport or ID card valid for at least three more months. If you are a non-EU national resident in Germany, it's a good idea to have your residency card or visa to hand too. This rule applies regardless of whether you're traveling by road, rail, or air. Why are controls back? The Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985, aimed to abolish border checks among many EU states. However, it allows governments to reimpose controls when they deem public security to be at risk. States including Germany, France, and the Netherlands now argue that current levels of illegal migration justify such measures.
