Tag: germany

German police launch nationwide crackdown on online ‘hate speech’

Germany’s law enforcement authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown on alleged internet ‘hate speech’, the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) have announced. Two thirds of the cases being investigated are linked to “right-wing” ideologies, the BKA said, with the media reporting they often involve “insults against politicians.”

Some “isolated cases” have been tied to “religious… left-wing and foreign” ideologies, according to police. More than 140 criminal investigations have been opened across all German states.

The list of the most common crimes included incitement of hatred, use of prohibited symbols, and approval of crimes and insults, the police said. According to Germany’s ARD broadcaster, the criminal cases often involve “insults against politicians.” 

The police operation included over 65 searches and “numerous” questionings, the BKA stated. Law enforcement has not reported that any suspects were detained as part of the investigations. The BKA also called on the people to “support” the police and contribute to combating online hate by reporting “hate postings” to either law enforcement or their network providers.

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Germany’s dangerous submission

At the Nato summit currently underway in The Hague, Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is expected to present his plan to transform the Bundeswehr into “the most powerful conventional army in Europe”. This dramatic announcement represents more than a shift in policy — it signals a rupture with the fundamental strategic identity Germany has maintained since 1945.

The idea of rearming the German military dates back to Olaf Scholz’s 2022 Zeitenwende speech — the so-called “turning point” announced in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Scholz promised a €100 billion fund for the military and pledged to meet Nato’s then 2% spending target. Yet that “turning point” largely failed to materialise. Two years later, the German Council on Foreign Relations bluntly concluded that little had changed.

Now, Merz is determined to deliver what Scholz only gestured towards. He has made defence and security the cornerstone of his chancellorship, launching the most ambitious rearmament campaign since the Second World War. The scale is staggering: a proposed €400 billion in defence and security investments, including a plan to raise annual defence spending to 5% of GDP — as demanded by Nato. That would represent nearly half of the federal budget — around €225 billion — a transformation with sweeping political and social consequences. On Monday, Berlin confirmed that its military spending will reach 3.5% of GDP by 2029, with the 5% target to be reached in the years to come.

To achieve this, Merz rammed through a constitutional amendment to reform the “debt brake”, a fiscal mechanism that has been enshrined in Germany’s Basic Law since 2009 and has since capped the federal structural deficit. Despite pledging during the campaign that the debt brake would remain untouched — and failing to mention his rearmament plans — Merz reversed course immediately after his election. His government exploited the final session of the outgoing parliament — even though a new Bundestag had already been elected — to approve the change. The aim was explicitly stated: to unlock vast new funding for military expansion.

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Will Germany Initiate Compulsory Military Service?

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder has come out with an aggressive plan to prep Germany for war. Support for Ukraine, defense against Russia, and efforts to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear weapons are the priorities. 

“Compulsory military and civilian service is the future,” said Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, according to Magyar Nemzet.

“It is not enough to simply send out questionnaires to young people asking if they would be willing to serve; more decisive steps are needed,” he added. 

Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011, but the service could be reactivated via a parliamentary ruling. The German government’s coalition agreement currently only allows for voluntary military service. However, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has already indicated that a much more ambitious bill is in the works, which would allow for the introduction of compulsory military service if necessary. 

In addition to the issue of conscription, Söder also urged the maximum deployment of the Bundeswehr —the German army — and again called for the development of a national missile defense system. 

“This also requires technology – an Iron Dome system is absolutely necessary to protect not only Berlin, but all of Germany,” he said, emphasizing that urgent action, including more sanctions, is needed to deter Russia. 

Söder also called for full support for Ukraine, including supplying the country with arms. Thorsten Frei, the head of the German Chancellery, warned on Monday that the threat to U.S. military bases in Germany had increased significantly after the U.S. air strikes on Iran. 

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Free Speech Travesty: German Pensioner Who Called Green Economic Minister Habeck an ‘Idiot’ Has Been Convicted

The case of German pensioner Stefan Niehoff became a major international story after police raided his home for calling Robert Habeck an “idiot” while Habeck was serving as Germany’s economy minister at the time.

Now that Niehoff has been convicted — for sepearte offneses — it has become clear how far the German media has gone to create the perception that Niehoff is a Nazi to smear his name, when the exact opposite was true all along.

Elon Musk tweeted about the case. The Economist included the incident in a long list of items showing Germany was walking all over free speech, and Niehoff was publicly outspoken over what happened to him.

Niehoff suffered a house raid early in the morning at his home in Burgpreppach, while his disabled daughter was home, all because Habeck filed a complaint against him for Niehoff calling him an “idiot” in an internet post.

The case looked exceedingly bad, so the German establishment went into damage control.

Numerous news outlets started publishing articles that the main focus of the investigation against Niehoff — the “idiot” comment — had quietly been sidelined. Now, the courts were focusing on “unconstitutional” symbols that Niehoff shared. In other words, after the Niehoff case blew up in their faces, they needed to find an ad hoc justification after the fact to justify their witch hunt against him.

In Germany, any kind of “unconstitutional symbol” basically means you were sharing swastikas or other symbols associated with the Nazi regime. Most people suddenly thought Niehoff was some kind pro-Nazi activist.

The reality is that he was comparing the left-liberal traffic light government, which was in power at the time, to the era of National Socialism. In other words, he was criticizing the Nazis, not praising them.

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Senior Citizens Moved Out Of Housing Complex In Germany To Make Way For Refugees

The German city of Bargteheide has scrapped plans to demolish a senior citizens’ residential complex on Nelkenweg after vacating all residents, opting instead to house asylum seekers in the building.

Former residents had been told the building was uninhabitable and were forced to relocate. However, following an inspection, just five units will undergo renovation, while the remainder will be used as-is by the new arrivals.

As reported by Abendblatt, Mayor Gabriele Hettwer defended the decision, saying all cost-related issues had been resolved and that a full renovation was unnecessary. “The costs for the removal of mold and other renovation measures are manageable,” she said, noting that a preliminary building application would determine whether the entire complex could eventually be used.

The move, however, has drawn sharp criticism from members of the SPD parliamentary group, who had supported the original eviction of elderly residents on the grounds that the buildings were unfit for habitation. “I have seen for myself what a bad condition the buildings are in,” said SPD council member Andreas Bäuerle. His colleague Jörg Rehder added, “The decision has an unpleasant taste.”

He pointed out that while the city directly financed the relocations of elderly tenants, it now appeared eager to move refugees into the same housing it had deemed unsuitable.

CDU council member Sven Meding dismissed the SPD’s concerns as political posturing. “I sometimes wonder if it’s election campaign again. Should we accommodate the refugees in tents?” he asked. “The apartments on Nelkenweg are well habitable.”

It would appear that no one on the municipal council had an issue with the fact that the elderly residents were not welcomed to return to their homes following the building’s inspection, and it would now hold asylum seekers.

Many former residents had expressed their desire to remain in their homes.

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Green Party Politician Suggests AfD Supporters Should Be Refused Organ Donations

A Green Party councilor, Julia Probst from the city of Weißenhorn, publicly asked in a survey whether her followers would agree to an organ donation if the potential recipient was an Alternative for Germany (AfD) voter.

The survey, taken by nearly 4,000 users, saw about a quarter say they would not agree to an organ donation; however, the vast majority said they would, amounting to 76 percent.

Her post was met with severe criticism from many users, with some accusing her of linking organ donation to political leanings.

One user, who wrote he was an “AfD opponent,” argued that as a first responder, he “first helps a person and not a ‘party affiliation.” He noted that linking organ donation to political affiliation was “inconceivable.”

The user also said: The wording of the question is very confusing to me? Do I have left-wing or right-wing blood?”

Many users with green hearts in their profiles, indicating their support for the Green Party, also took offense at the question. The majority of posters said that organ donation should not be linked to voting intention.

Probst has since locked her X account.

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Legalization turns Germany into a cannabis hotspot: Mary Jane becomes the world’s largest cannabis trade fair for the first time

About a year after partial legalization by the “traffic light” government coalition, Germany has become the key meeting point for the global cannabis scene. With 60,000 expected visitors, over 500 exhibitors, and an expanded festival area, Mary Jane Berlin will – for the first time since its founding in 2016 – be the largest cannabis trade fair in the world, taking place from June 19 to 22, 2025. On more than 70,000 square meters of exhibition space, industry icons like former world boxing champion Mike Tyson will present the latest products, top acts such as Samy Deluxe will perform on the festival stage, and experts will discuss home cultivation, the booming demand for medical cannabis, and the growing telemedicine market at the professional conference. Cannabis-related sales in Germany are expected to reach around one billion euros in 2025.

“We started as a small scene gathering and are now the largest cannabis trade fair in the world. When it came to cannabis, the world used to look to the U.S. – now it looks to Germany, and Mary Jane is the highlight of the industry,” says Nhung Nguyen, organizer and co-founder of the fair. A record 40,000 tickets were sold in advance. For the first-ever B2B day on June 19, 5,000 industry representatives from 50 countries have registered. The professional conference, organized in cooperation with the Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW), will host 90 high-profile speakers from business, science, and politics. “We want to showcase all facets and the many positive qualities of cannabis – and why legalization is the only right way forward,” says Nguyen.

The effects of legalization are also reflected in the numbers: Germany has around 4.5 million cannabis users, and that number has roughly doubled over the past 15 years. According to Statista, cannabis market revenues in Germany are expected to reach around one billion euros in 2025. Special focus is being placed on medical cannabis. Thanks to the new legal situation, the market is booming like never before. The import of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes has significantly increased over the course of 2024, according to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. The quantity rose from 8.1 tons in Q1 to 11.6 tons in Q2, 20.7 tons in Q3, and 31.7 tons in Q4.

Numerous medical cannabis distributors will showcase their product ranges and services at the fair. In addition, telemedicine is playing an increasingly important role. More and more people are using the option to order cannabis with a prescription online and receive it via a pharmacy. Delivery services bring the products directly to customers. “The medical community is increasingly recognizing the plant’s value in treating illnesses and relieving pain. Initial hesitations from doctors and pharmacies are slowly dissolving,” says Nguyen.

In addition to medical cannabis, visitors will also find the latest industry trends at the fair: digitalized balcony greenhouses for home growing, edibles from brownies to granola bars, and a wide selection of non-intoxicating CBD products ranging from massage oils to meditation teas. “Mary Jane offers something for everyone. We’ve tailored the entire fair concept to attract new audiences as well. Smoking is prohibited in the halls out of consideration for all guests, and there will be various chill-out areas, international food trucks, and awareness teams. Everyone should feel comfortable and have fun,” says Nguyen.

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Germany’s Merz: Israel Is ‘Doing Dirty Work for Us’ In Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has strongly backed Israel’s war on Iran and said on Tuesday that Israel was “doing dirty work” for the West by launching the assault.

“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” Merz said.

The German leader also said that Iran’s nuclear program must be destroyed and suggested that the US should do it since it has heavy bunker-busting bombs that the Israeli military doesn’t possess. “The Israeli army is obviously unable to accomplish that. It lacks the necessary weapons. But the Americans have them,” he said.

When Israel first launched its aggressive war against Iran on Friday, Germany’s Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning the Iranian counterattack. “We strongly condemn the indiscriminate Iranian attack on Israeli territory,” the ministry said.

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German politician strips naked, calls on ‘open-minded citizens’ to join him on swingers trip in France

A local German politician has copped backlash from fellow councillors after he stripped naked and called on residents to join him on a swingers trip in France.

Julien Ferrat, a councillor at Mannheim City, in southwest Germany, and representative of local political party ‘Die Mannheime’, said the eight-day trip to swinger hotspot, Cap d’Agde, in the south of France, is to investigate how it became a global hub in nudist and sex tourism – and how this can help boost Mannheim’s local economy.

He gained plenty of attention – and pushback from fellow councillors – when a story of his unconventional idea appeared in the local Mannheim Official Gazette in May.

It was accompanied by a naked photo of Ferrat on the beach with just a sign covering his genitals.

The headline read – ‘Political Education Trip to Cap d’Agde’, translating to – Political education trip to Cap d’Agde.

“The naturist village in Cap d’Agde is considered a mecca for nudists and swingers,” the 33-year-old said in the article.

“What few people know: Without government support for tourism (…) this place would never have been created.”

He has called for “curious and open-minded citizens” to accompany him on the trip which will involve a training camp, to ensure no participant heads into the resort ‘unprepared’.

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U.S. Intervention Halts Germany’s Attempt to Suppress AfD Opposition.

Germany’s bid to marginalize its largest opposition party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), through intelligence agency tactics has been derailed, thanks to intense pressure from U.S. political figures.

As German establishment parties and authorities orchestrated a campaign to discredit the AfD, Republican leaders in the U.S. intervened, condemning the move as a threat to democracy.

On May 2, Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) labeled the AfD a “proven right-wing extremist” group, triggering a media onslaught aimed at delegitimizing the party and potentially laying the groundwork for a ban. This aggressive move against parliamentary democracy quickly drew international backlash.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among the first to respond, posting on X: “Germany has empowered its intelligence service to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s disguised tyranny.”

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