In Germany, politicians can sue others for defamation. This law was passed during Angela Merkel’s time in office but is being used more often now. Critics say this is bad for free speech and could lead to people being punished for their opinions. In the past few years, more than 1,300 cases have been recorded, with journalists being accused of defamation.
Politicians sometimes even sue for social media posts and memes. If found guilty, people can be fined or even sent to jail. Some people think this is a bad way to protect politicians, as it could stop people from talking freely. Others think that stricter rules are needed to stop people from being mean or rude.
The German Vice Chancellor, Robert Habeck, has been seen as someone who might want to make rules even stricter. This is especially true after the police went to a pensioner’s house because he made a meme about Habeck being an “idiot.”
Not all politicians agree with this idea. Armin Laschet, a former leader in North Rhine-Westphalia, thinks that people should be able to call politicians names like “stupid” or “idiot” in a democracy.
He says that if they cannot do this, the country could become like a dictatorship. Laschet only complained when he got death threats. However, the number of lawsuits for small problems is growing, especially since the new coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats came to power.
Source
<p>The post Ending Free Speech in Germany: The Rise of Politician Lawsuits Against Defamation first appeared on CoinBuzzFeed.</p>
