Compact magazine: what does the ban mean?
The German Ministry of the Interior has banned the right-wing extremist magazine Compact. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser justified the ban saying it was a central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist milieu that incites hatred against Jews, people with a migration background and parliamentary democracy in an unspeakable manner. Commentators are not unanimously in favour of the decision.
A double-edged decision
De Morgen weighs up:
“Compact's success is part of a broader trend across Europe, with identitarian and far-right parties expanding their own media. ... This development goes hand in hand with attacks on the established media. ... Compact exemplifies the challenges Europe faces. Yes, we must guarantee press freedom, but at the same time we cannot allow extremists to damage our peace, freedom and coexistence under the guise of journalism.”
Long overdue
Der Spiegel supports the ban:
“'We want to overthrow this regime'. That's what makes his magazine 'unique', said the editor-in-chief in June 2023, and he's right. No other journalist speaks like this - because it is not the language of journalists, but of populists and guerrilla fighters. However, those who seek to overthrow a government in a democratic country cannot hide behind the freedom of the press. They must be overthrown themselves. The question that should be asked these days is therefore not: Why did the Federal Ministry of the Interior ban Compact? The question is: why did it wait so long? ”
AfD in the role of victim
The Tages-Anzeiger warns that the AfD will benefit most from the ban:
“The ban is controversial and extremely sensitive politically. The right-wing extremist Compact media are closely linked to the Alternative for Germany party. ... Politically, the ban against Compact is counterproductive because it reaffirms the AfD's victim role, which casts it in such an appealing light. And legally speaking, there's a considerable risk that in the end the Administrative Court in Leipzig, the German Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe or the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg will overturn the ban - giving the AfD yet another victory.”