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DW
11-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
German court to rule on banned right-wing extremist magazine – DW – 06/10/2025
The right-wing extremist magazine Compact was outlawed in 2024, but it's available on newsstands again after winning an appeal. Now, Germany's Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig will have the final word. In July 2024, then Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned Compact magazine. She justified the move, saying: "It's a central mouthpiece for the right-wing extremist scene. This magazine incites against Jews, people with ethnic migrant backgrounds and against our parliamentary democracy in the most abhorrent way." Compact sees itself as part of 'resistance movement' A 2023 report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic intelligence agency, features an entire page dedicated to Compact — a magazine and multimedia company headquartered in Falkensee, on the outskirts of Berlin. According to the BfV, the magazine's publisher says it sells 40,000 print copies a month. The number of subscribers to the Compact YouTube channel is significantly higher, at 513,000 as of June 10, 2025. "Compact sees itself as part of what it calls the resistance movement, and it is seen by other actors among the so-called new right as part of the scene," the BfV wrote. "The main feature of many of its published articles is agitation against the federal government and against the current political system." Ties to extremist Identitarian movement Examples cited by the BfV include abstruse conspiracy theories used to agitate against state institutions and pluralist society. "Historic revisionist content and antisemitic narratives round out the agenda," it added. Moreover, the report said, the outfit maintains ties with right-wing extremist groups like the German Identitarian movement (IBD) and the eastern German regional party the "Freie Sachsen," or Free Saxons. Former Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned Compact in July 2024 Image: AFP Faeser said the message was clear — we will not allow anyone to define who does and does not belong in Germany by their ethnicity. "Our constitutional state protects all those who have been attacked because of their religion, their origins, their skin color or their desire to live in a democracy," she said last July. Faeser wanted to send a signal Faeser leaned heavily on the constitution, Germany's Basic Law, in calling for the right-wing extremist publication to be banned. Article 9 of the Basic Law, which regulates freedom of assembly, reads: "Associations whose aims or activities contravene the criminal laws or that are directed against the constitutional order or the concept of international understanding shall be prohibited." Compact's editor-in-chief, Jürgen Elsässer, is a suspected right-wing extremist who belonged to the far left as a young man. Now in his 60s, Elsässer was once a member of the Communist Youth Wing and wrote for the newspaper, Arbeiterkampf (The Workers' Fight). He later worked as a reporter for other left-wing media, including Neue Deutschland (New Germany), which was a key news organ for the socialist East German government when the country was still partitioned. Elsässer (right) was joined in Leipzig by CompactTV boss Paul Klemm Image: Jan Woitas/dpa/picture alliance Compact can publish until final verdict Elsässer and other plaintiffs fought the ban on his media operations before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. He was partially successful in August 2024 when it was determined that he could continue publishing Compact until a final verdict had been handed down. In granting its stay, the court said the outcome of the case remained unclear as it had yet to be determined whether Compact had acted against the constitutional order. The court did, however, immediately find evidence of violations of human dignity in which citizens with migrant backgrounds were demeaned. Notwithstanding, it also voiced doubt as to whether that was enough to justify a ban. For that would represent the most serious intervention possible regarding speech and press freedoms guaranteed in Article 5 of the Basic Law. Where does press freedom begin and end? Still, Article 5 does put some limits on speech, saying, "These rights shall find their limits in the provisions of general laws, in provisions for the protection of young persons and in the right to personal honor." The trial to define where press freedoms in Germany begin and end will start on June 10. It's unclear when a decision will be handed down. What are Germany's limits on free speech? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This text was originally written in German.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Germany: Court to rule on press freedom for banned magazine
AP image In July 2024, then Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned Compact magazine. She justified the move, saying: "It's a central mouthpiece for the right-wing extremist scene. This magazine incites against Jews, people with ethnic migrant backgrounds and against our parliamentary democracy in the most abhorrent way. " Compact sees itself as part of 'resistance movement' A 2023 report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic intelligence agency, features an entire page dedicated to Compact — a magazine and multimedia company headquartered in Falkensee, on the outskirts of Berlin. According to the BfV, the magazine's publisher says it sells 40,000 print copies a month. The number of subscribers to the Compact YouTube channel is significantly higher, at 513,000 as of June 10, 2025. " Compact sees itself as part of what it calls the resistance movement, and it is seen by other actors among the so-called new right as part of the scene," the BfV wrote. "The main feature of many of its published articles is agitation against the federal government and against the current political system." Ties to extremist Identitarian movement Examples cited by the BfV include abstruse conspiracy theories used to agitate against state institutions and pluralist society. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "Historic revisionist content and antisemitic narratives round out the agenda," it added. Moreover, the report said, the outfit maintains ties with right-wing extremist groups like the German Identitarian movement (IBD) and the eastern German regional party the "Freie Sachsen," or Free Saxons. Faeser said the message was clear — we will not allow anyone to define who does and does not belong in Germany by their ethnicity. "Our constitutional state protects all those who have been attacked because of their religion, their origins, their skin colour or their desire to live in a democracy," she said last July. Faeser wanted to send a signal Faeser leaned heavily on the constitution, Germany's Basic Law, in calling for the right-wing extremist publication to be banned. Article 9 of the Basic Law, which regulates freedom of assembly, reads: "Associations whose aims or activities contravene the criminal laws or that are directed against the constitutional order or the concept of international understanding shall be prohibited." Compact's editor-in-chief, Jürgen Elsässer, is a suspected right-wing extremist who belonged to the far left as a young man. Now in his 60s, Elsässer was once a member of the Communist Youth Wing and wrote for the newspaper, Arbeiterkampf ( The Workers' Fight ). He later worked as a reporter for other left-wing media, including Neue Deutschland (New Germany), which was a key news organ for the socialist East German government when the country was still partitioned. Compact can publish until final verdict Elsässer and other plaintiffs fought the ban on his media operations before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. He was partially successful in August 2024 when it was determined that he could continue publishing Compact until a final verdict had been handed down. In granting its stay, the court said the outcome of the case remained unclear as it had yet to be determined whether Compact had acted against the constitutional order. The court did, however, immediately find evidence of violations of human dignity in which citizens with migrant backgrounds were demeaned. Notwithstanding, it also voiced doubt as to whether that was enough to justify a ban. For that would represent the most serious intervention possible regarding speech and press freedoms guaranteed in Article 5 of the Basic Law. Where does press freedom begin and end? Still, Article 5 does put some limits on speech, saying, "These rights shall find their limits in the provisions of general laws, in provisions for the protection of young persons and in the right to personal honour." The trial to define where press freedoms in Germany begin and end will start on June 10. It's unclear when a decision will be handed down.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany has evidence of Russia's plans to attack NATO, says Germany's spy chief
Bruno Kahl, President of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has said that Russia is preparing to test the credibility of NATO's Article 5, adding that German intelligence has concrete evidence of the Kremlin's preparations for potential aggression against the Alliance. Source: Kahl in a podcast for German outlet Table Briefings, as reported by The Times Details: The BND chief emphasised that Moscow no longer believes in the reliability of NATO's collective defence system – particularly Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which guarantees a joint response in the event of an attack on a member state. He warned that the Kremlin may attempt to test this provision in practice. Quote: "We are very sure, and we have intelligence evidence to back this up, that [Russia's full-scale invasion of] Ukraine is only one step on Russia's path towards the west." More details: Kahl clarified that this "doesn't mean that we expect large tank battalions to roll from the east to the west". German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has issued similar warnings in the past, repeatedly stating that Germany must be "ready for war" by the end of this decade. "Our experts estimate that it could be possible within a period of five to eight years," Pistorius said in an interview with German TV news service Tagesspiegel last year. In its February report, Denmark's military intelligence concluded that after the war in Ukraine ends, Russia could redeploy substantial forces to the borders of other European countries within six months. Kahl also warned that Russia seeks to "push NATO back to its 1990s boundaries", "kick out" the US from Europe and "expand its influence by any means necessary". "We need to nip this in the bud," Kahl stressed. Meanwhile, he noted that despite certain tensions, cooperation with the United States remains stable. "The Americans take Article 5 very seriously, but they rightly insist Europe must do its part," he said. Sinan Selen, Deputy Director General of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), stated that Russia is increasingly using cyberattacks and sabotage against Western countries. "We have noticed that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has led to our cyber and espionage defences being increasingly tested," Selen said. An annual report by the BfV reveals that Russia has begun actively deploying so-called "low-level agents" to carry out sabotage operations, particularly placing incendiary devices in parcels, resulting in a series of fires at logistics centres across Europe. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
DW
10-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Germany: Court to rule on press freedom for banned magazine – DW – 06/10/2025
The right-wing extremist magazine 'Compact' was outlawed in 2024 but is available again after winning an appeal. Now, Germany's Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig will have the final word. In 2024, then Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned Compact magazine. She justified the move, saying: "It's a central mouthpiece for the right-wing extremist scene. This magazine incites against Jews, people with ethnic migrant backgrounds and against our parliamentary democracy in the most abhorrent way." 'Compact' YouTube channel has many subscribers A 2023 report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic intelligence agency, features an entire page dedicated to Compact — a magazine and multi-media company headquartered in Falkensee, on the outskirts of Berlin. According to the BfV, Compact's publisher says it sells 40,000 print copies a month. The number of subscribers to Compact's YouTube channel is significantly higher at 513,000 as of June 10, 2025. "Compact sees itself as part of what it calls the resistance movement, and it is seen by other actors among the so-called new right as part of the scene," the BfV wrote. "The main feature of many of its published articles is agitation against the federal government and against the current political system." Ties to the Identitarian movement Examples cited by the BfV include abstruse conspiracy theories used to agitate against state institutions and pluralist society. "Historic revisionist content and antisemitic narratives round out the agenda." Moreover, the report said, the outfit maintains ties with right-wing extremist groups like the German Identitarian movement (IBD) and the eastern German regional party the "Freie Sachsen," or Free Saxons. Faeser said the message was clear — we will not allow anyone to define who does and does not belong in Germany by their ethnicity. "Our constitutional state protects all those who have been attacked because of their religion, their origins, their skin color or their desire to live in a democracy." Then Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned 'Compact' in July 2024 Image: AFP Nancy Faeser wanted to send a signal Then Interior Minister Faeser leaned heavily on Germany's Basic Law in calling for the right-wing extremist publication to be banned. Article 9 of the Basic Law, which regulates freedom of assembly, reads: "Associations whose aims or activities contravene the criminal laws or that are directed against the constitutional order or the concept of international understanding shall be prohibited." Compact's editor-in-chief, Jürgen Elsässer, is a suspected right-wing extremist who belonged to the far-left as a young man. Now in his 60s, Elsässer was once a member of the Communist Youth Wing and wrote for the newspaper, Arbeiterkampf (The Workers' Fight). He later worked as a reporter for other left-wing media, including Neue Deutschland (New Germany), which was a key news organ for the socialist East German government when the country was still partitioned. Elsässer was joined in Leipzig by CompactTV boss Paul Klemm Image: Jan Woitas/dpa/picture alliance Jürgen Elsässer fighting before the court Elsässer and other plaintiffs fought the ban on his media operations before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. He was partially successful in August 2024 when it was determined that he could continue publishing Compact until a final verdict had been handed down. In granting its stay, the court said the outcome of the case remained unclear as it had yet to be determined whether Compact had acted against the constitutional order. The court did, however, immediately find evidence of violations of human dignity in which citizens with migrant backgrounds were demeaned. Notwithstanding, it also voiced doubt as to whether that was enough to justify a ban. For that would represent the most serious intervention possible regarding speech and press freedoms guaranteed in Article 5 of the Basic Law. Where does press freedom begin and end? Still, Article 5 does put some limits on speech, saying, "These rights shall find their limits in the provisions of general laws, in provisions for the protection of young persons and in their right to personal honor." The trial to define where press freedoms in Germany begin and end will start on June 10. It is unclear when a decision will be handed down. What are Germany's limits on free speech? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This text was originally published in German.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
German interior minister against ban on far-right AfD
BERLIN: German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Tuesday he opposes a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party despite the BfV domestic intelligence service labelling it an 'extremist' group. At a press conference to present the yearly BfV report on domestic security threats, Dobrindt said the 'AfD must be dealt with politically' and parties of the 'political centre should govern in a way that sees the AfD off'. Dobrindt said this meant 'solving the problems' that the anti-immigration AfD capitalised on to achieve its best-ever result in February's general election, when it won more than 20 percent of the vote. The conservative CDU/CSU alliance of Chancellor Friedrich Merz -- to which Dobrindt belongs -- made a crackdown on irregular migration one of its central election promises. The BfV's designation of the AfD as a 'right-wing extremist' group sparked renewed calls for the party to be banned, including from among the CDU/CSU's junior coalition partner, the centre-left Social Democrats. The BfV has suspended the classification while an appeal from the AfD moves through the courts. The legal requirements for banning a political party are very high in Germany. Either the government or one of the two houses of parliament would have to ask Germany's constitutional court to impose such a ban by proving the party poses a serious threat to democracy. The last party to be banned in Germany was the Communist Party in 1956. Dobrindt said that in his opinion the findings the BfV used to justify its designation 'are not sufficient to justify the process of a ban'. In particular he said the BfV had not addressed the question of whether the AfD represented a grave threat to democracy and the rule of law. However, Dobrindt did say he personally agreed with the description of the AfD as 'extremist' and accused it of fuelling political polarisation. According to the BfV report, Germany has seen a marked jump in the potential strength of right-wing extremist movements from just over 40,000 people in 2023 to more than 50,000 the following year. Of those, the number who were deemed potentially willing to use violence rose from 14,500 to 15,300 in the same time frame. The report also noted a rise in the number of left-wing extremists that could potentially be mobilised from 37,000 to 38,000 and of radical Islamists from 27,200 to 28,280.
