Faeser forbids right-wing "Compact"-Magazine
The ban shows that Germany is going after "those who stir up a climate of hate and violence against refugees and migrants, and seek to overthrow our democratic state," stated Faeser. He spoke of a "harsh blow against the far-right scene."
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, searches were conducted in the morning at the business premises of "Compact" in Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, as well as at the homes of leading employees, the management, and significant shareholders.
"Today's ban prohibits the continuation of previous activities," the ministry announced. "Violations of this will be criminal offenses."
The Compact-Magazin GmbH, led by activist Jürgen Elsässer, was labeled as reliably extremist, volkisch-nationalist, and anti-minority by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as early as 2021. The editorial office is located in Falkensee, Brandenburg, where Elsässer also resides.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the main products of the company are the monthly "Compact" magazine with a circulation of 40,000 copies and the Compact TV online video channel on YouTube, which has 345,000 subscribers and has published nearly 2900 videos.
Elsässer himself, according to the Constitutional Protection Report 2023, acts as a "central coordinator." For example, he collaborates with the far-right regional party The Free Saxons and networks with the Identitarian Movement (IB).
Representatives of most parties welcomed the ban. The Green Party's deputy faction leader in the Bundestag, Konstantin von Notz, told the "Rheinische Post," "Compact is a central mouthpiece for the extreme right." He assumes that the Interior Ministry "has thoroughly examined and weighed the press law issues related to a ban on a newspaper."
Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) stated: "Compact is hate and incitement in high gloss. This platform of the enemies of democracy is now being shut down. Compact channels will be turned off, Compact content will be deleted, and Compact revenues will be confiscated."
The AfD, however, described the ban as a "heavy blow to press freedom." "We are observing these developments with great concern," the party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla stated jointly. "Banning a press organ means a refusal of discourse and diversity of opinion." The leaders accused Faeser of "misusing his competencies" to "suppress critical reporting."
The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Julia Sacharowa, had given the magazine an interview the previous week. "Apparently, the format is now banned in Germany," she told the state news agency Tass. "The censorship in Germany is comparable to Goebbels' times," she said, looking back at Joseph Goebbels, the NS Reich Propaganda Minister from 1933 to 1945.
The Left Party is calling for action against parts of the far-right AfD following the ban. "The connections between the neo-Nazi media network and the AfD are more than obvious," said Links-Bundesgeschäftsführerin Katina Schubert to the news agency AFP.
The chairman of the German Journalists' Association (DJV), Mika Beuster, told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland: "What Compact does has nothing to do with journalism in my opinion, it's conspiracy-theoretical, it's – as the Constitutional Protection Agency says – reliably right-wing extremist."
The "Compact" organized protest series "Blue Wave," as stated by the Federal Interior Ministry, is not directly banned since it does not constitute an independent association. However, its continuation can be considered as maintaining the association's activities and is prohibited, the Ministry added. Moreover, the "Blue Wave" symbols are forbidden as association symbols of "Compact."
- The ban on Compact Magazine was justified by Faeser as targeting individuals who promote hatred and violence against refugees and migrants, aiming to undermine Germany's democratic state.
- The Federal Interior Ministry conducted searches at Compact's business premises in Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, as well as at the residences of key personnel.
- Faeser declared that the ban would prevent Compact-Magazin GmbH from continuing its previous activities, with any violations considered criminal offenses.
- The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution identified Compact as an extremist, volkisch-nationalist, and anti-minority organization as early as 2021.
- The main offerings of Compact include the monthly Compact magazine, which circulates 40,000 copies, as well as the Compact TV video channel on YouTube, with 345,000 subscribers and almost 2900 videos.
- As per the Constitutional Protection Report 2023, Elsässer operates as a central coordinator, collaborating with the far-right regional party, The Free Saxons, and networking with the Identitarian Movement (IB).
- Konstantin von Notz, Green Party's deputy faction leader, commended the Interior Ministry for thoroughly examining and considering press law issues before banning the newspaper.
- Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen criticized Compact as a source of hate and incitement, likening it to an enemy of democracy, which will now be silenced.
- The AfD leaders, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, argued that the ban was an attack on press freedom, a refusal of dialogue, and suppression of critical reporting.
- The German Journalists' Association chairman, Mika Beuster, considered Compact's activities as non-journalistic, conspiracy-theoretical, and reliably right-wing extremist, not deserving of protection as a press organization.
