Latest news with #Compact
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Would banning the Nazis have really changed history?
Editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer holds a copy of far-right magazine Compact. Photo / Getty Images If you could go back in time and ban the Nazi party, would you? Especially given all you now know about the misery the German political party would cause before and during a world war. It sounds like a rather thrilling premise. Back to the Future 4: Marty McFly versus Adolf and his evil henchmen! But in fact, it's a question far less adventurous German politicians, lawyers, journalists and judges have been debating for almost a year now. Things escalated last month, when one of the country's domestic intelligence agencies classified a local political party, the Alternative for Germany or AfD, as 'right-wing extremist'. It's seen as a possible first step towards an outright ban. Because of Germany's history, local law can be used to outlaw political parties that seek to undermine or abolish democracy. But it's actually very difficult to make those bans stick. The AfD took court action which led to the designation being suspended until judges could review the spy agency's 1100-page report, something that might take a while. This month, another similar incident around an AfD-supporting publication called Compact also returned to court. In July last year, the Ministry of the Interior banned Compact for acting 'militantly and aggressively' against German democratic values, and for saying racist, nonsensical, inflammatory crap like – just one ugly example – immigrants were turning all of Germany into a big 'rape zone'. The magazine's circulation is around 40,000 but an accompanying YouTube channel gets around half a million views. The Compact ban hadn't really worked though. The magazine mounted a legal challenge and the ban was suspended. A final decision will be made in court imminently. Legal observers say the outcome, which should come by the end of the month, is uncertain. So, too, is the plan to simply ban people, parties and publications you don't like. Yes, the Germans like rules. But can a ban stop people from being racist, nonsensical or inflammatory? The AfD is currently the second most popular party in the country and one imagines Compact is only gaining more readers with all this free publicity. Some local experts argue that such bans are the correct response, given Germany's history. But as other analysts and politicians, including the country's new leader Friedrich Merz, have argued, they can also backfire. If the AfD is banned when one in five voters supports it, the party looks like the victim of undemocratic forces, they say. And as Compact's editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer has said, stopping his noble efforts to just, you know, make stuff up, contradicts freedom of expression. 'In a democracy, you can't ban a magazine like Compact,' he insisted outside a courtroom before a hearing. A ban is no magic wand. Far-right ideologies and the tawdry publications that make money from them will still be with us even if the AfD and Compact are outlawed. Recently, a German acquaintance, shocked by some younger family members supporting the AfD, angrily asked them why they'd do such a thing. Interestingly, apart from their desire for an 'alternative', the 20-somethings couldn't really explain their worrying new political preferences. They have jobs and money, they don't hate migrants or democracy, they don't think Germany is a 'rape zone'. So maybe that's the most important thing about this ongoing debate around bans, press freedom and politics. We're being forced to interrogate all this. Should we have banned the Nazis? Would that have changed history? Or was something else – ignorance, racism, the shape of our relationships with our neighbours and our communities, maybe just good old human nature – to blame for the horrors that came next?
Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Ban lifted on magazine said to be a ‘mouthpiece for right-wing extremists'
The German government's ban on a far-right magazine described as the 'central mouthpiece' of extremists has been overturned. Founded in 2010 and edited by Jürgen Elsässer, Compact magazine had considerable reach beyond the hard-right bubble. It claimed a print circulation of 40,000 a month and millions of views online. The magazine was officially classified as an 'extremist organisation' by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, in 2021. Among the conspiracy theories that it promotes is the concept of 're-migration', a dog whistle for deporting ethnic-minority Germans. Nancy Faeser took the step to ban the magazine last year when she was interior minister . She labelled Compact a 'central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene' — citing its antisemitic, racist and anti-democratic content. A federal administrative court in Leipzig then suspended Faeser's ban, pending a final ruling on Compact's appeal, which was issued on Tuesday, declaring that even inflammatory speech remains protected under the country's laws. The presiding judge, Ingo Kraft, concluded that Compact's output, while polemic and sharply worded, did not cross the threshold into active hostility against the democratic order. 'The basic law guarantees freedom of opinion and the press even for enemies of freedom,' Kraft said. Germany's basic law provides MPs with the means to crack down on parties and speech like Holocaust denial that are deemed unconstitutional — a learning from its fascist past. However, there are no provisions allowing the ban of publications. The interior ministry had resorted to banning the organisation that publishes Compact. The court said, however, that this violated the proportionality requirements as subversive activities were not central to its mission. Even sharp critiques of migration policy and revisionist takes on history must be tolerated in a pluralistic democracy, the court argued. The ruling comes as a blow to proponents of a crackdown on extremism, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has surged to become Germany's second-largest party. In 2021, Germany's government had tightened laws punishing abuse against politicians. In one such case a journalist at a far-right magazine was convicted for sharing a manipulated image of Faeser showing her holding a fake sign with the words 'I hate freedom of opinion'. • What is AfD? The reasons behind rise of the hard right in Germany Elsässer celebrated the Compact ruling, and predicted that, if Compact could not be banned, then it would be impossible to ban the AfD. The Social Democrats, the junior partner in Germany's coalition government, announced on Monday that they would push to start proceedings on banning the AfD, which was also recently labelled 'extremist' by the Verfassungsschutz. Alexander Dobrindt, the current interior minister, said the government would respect and review the ruling, but added that 'banning organisations remains an applicable and possible tool against extremist endeavours'.
DW
5 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Germany press freedom: Ban on right-wing magazine is lifted – DW – 06/25/2025
A German court has ruled to lift the ban on the right-wing extremist magazine "Compact." The decision could also have consequences for the debate on banning the AfD. The decision by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig not to ban the magazine was a difficult one, according to Judge Ingo Kraft. "However, the Basic Law guarantees freedom of opinion and freedom of the press even to the enemies of freedom, trusting in the power of free social debate," he said on Tuesday, June 24. The ruling is a defeat for former German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser who banned magazine in 2024. 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." The judges now said there was reason to doubt whether freedom of the press and freedom of expression had been sufficiently taken into account in the ban. They argued that terms such as "remigration" and "cult of guilt" are covered by freedom of expression. This also applied to conspiracy theories and historical revisionist theories. 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 — 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 YouTube channel is significantly higher, at 513,000 as of June 10, 2025. " 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." 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." 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. Wanting to send a signal Faeser had 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, (). He later worked as a reporter for other left-wing media, including (New Germany), which was a key news organ for the socialist East German government when the country was still partitioned. After his victory in court, the Compact editor-in-chief was triumphant: "We have defeated the dictatorial tendencies." He also thanked the judges, who had weighed up all sides in a strictly objective manner, said Elsässer. He also believes this is a good sign for all those seeking to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany party: "Because if it was impossible to ban it is also impossible to ban the AfD." A ban on the party has been under discussion for years. In addition to the federal government, the parliament (Bundestag) and the chamber of the federal states (Bundesrat) could submit a corresponding application to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. So far, however, there is no majority for this anywhere. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoWhile 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.
7NEWS
5 days ago
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Court lifts ban on far-right German publication Compact magazine
A German court has lifted a ban imposed by the government on a far-right magazine, ruling the case against it does not clear the high bar required to outlaw its publisher. Germany 's previous government banned Compact magazine and the company that publishes it, Compact-Magazin GmbH, in July. Then-interior minister Nancy Faeser described Compact as 'a central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene', and said it 'agitates in an unspeakable way against Jews, against people with a history of migration and against our parliamentary democracy'. Compact appealed to the Federal Administrative Court, which suspended the ban in August 2024 pending a full consideration of the case. Following a hearing earlier in June, the court lifted the ban altogether on Tuesday. The court said Germany's constitution guaranteed freedom of the press and opinion 'even for the enemies of freedom' and that, on grounds of proportionality, a ban could only be justified if the publisher's anti-constitutional activities were proven to be 'formative' for the group. It said a review of the evidence showed that the material in question did not reach that threshold. Compact is run by far-right figure Jurgen Elsasser and produces the monthly magazine of the same name, which has a circulation of about 40,000, as well as an online video channel, Compact TV. It also runs an online shop selling books, CDs, DVDs and other merchandise. Compact has been published since 2010. In its annual report for 2023, Germany's domestic intelligence agency said that it 'regularly disseminates ... anti-Semitic, anti-minority, historically revisionist and conspiracy theory content'. The strength of the far right has caused increasing concern in Germany in recent years.
Toronto Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
German court overturns ban on far-right magazine Compact
The magazine said the verdict was a victory for 'press freedom' Published Jun 24, 2025 • 2 minute read Far-right magazine Compact was founded by the publisher and political activist Juergen Elsaesser. Photo by ROBERT MICHAEL / AFP BERLIN — A German court on Tuesday overturned a government ban on far-right magazine Compact, imposed last year over alleged incitement against minorities and the democratic order. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Federal Administrative Court said the magazine had published some 'anti-constitutional' material but the conditions for a ban had not been met. Presiding judge Ingo Kraft said much of the magazine's output fell into the category of 'exaggerated but permissible criticism'. Former interior minister Nancy Faeser issued the ban in July last year, saying Compact promoted 'unspeakable incitement against Jews, people with an immigrant background and against our parliamentary democracy.' At the same time, police raided the monthly magazine's premises in 14 different locations in four regions, seizing IT equipment, cash, gold, vehicles and other assets. The magazine said on its X account that the verdict was a 'resounding slap in the face' for Faeser and a victory for 'press freedom.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At the time of the ban Compact claimed a print circulation of 40,000 and it also has more than 500,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel. Despite the ban order, it had been permitted to keep publishing while the legal appeal was heard. 'Hostile to minorities' Faeser's successor as interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, said in a statement he 'acknowledged' the court decision and that his ministry would 'carefully evaluate' it. He did not indicate whether the ministry would appeal against the decision but added that 'bans on associations are still an applicable tool against extremist movements.' The interior ministry has the power to ban an organization if it deems it to be acting against the constitutional order. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The company that owns Compact was described in 2021 by German domestic intelligence as 'extremist, nationalist and hostile to minorities'. Run by the far-right journalist Juergen Elsaesser, Compact describes its editorial line as 'patriotic.' The magazine has published articles supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, castigating 'climate terrorists' and advocating for 'peace and friendship' with Russia. The court found that Compact published conspiracy theories and 'historical revisionism' about the coronavirus pandemic and the Ukraine war but said these were protected by freedom of the press and did not warrant a ban. The German Journalists' Association said the court decision represented a 'strengthening of the high value placed on press freedom' but also said that Compact had published 'many articles with right-wing and inhuman content which have nothing to do with journalistic standards'. Former interior minister Thomas de Maiziere banned the neo-Nazi 'Altermedia Deutschland' website in 2016 for inciting violence against foreigners, saying the publication was 'incompatible with our free democratic system.' NHL Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls World World
