German Court Overturns Ban on Far-Right Magazine

A German federal court has overturned the government's ban on Compact magazine, a publication linked to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, ruling that while Compact publishes anti-constitutional and inflammatory content, it does not pose a sufficient threat to the country's democratic order to justify a ban. The interior ministry had banned Compact in July 2023, labeling it the 'central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene' and citing antisemitic, racist, and anti-democratic content. The court emphasized that Germany’s constitution protects freedom of expression and press, even for those with extremist views, and that bans require proof of anti-constitutional activities being central to an organization. Judges found the evidence did not meet the strict requirements for banning a publisher, reaffirming the protection of critical or polemic speech in a pluralistic democracy. The court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. The ruling has reignited debate in Germany over balancing media freedom with efforts to counter extremism.