Right-wing 'Compact'-Magazine sues against ban
**"Compact" Editor-in-Chief Elsaesser states at an event, "We want to overthrow this regime." "Compact" Magazine is fighting the ban at the Federal Administrative Court. A complaint and an urgent application were filed on a Wednesday evening, a spokesperson for the court in Leipzig confirmed upon request. The Federal Administrative Court is responsible for such cases.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had banned the magazine, classified as extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, on July 16. Faeser justified the step by stating that "Compact" is a "central voice of the extremist scene" and acts against constitutional order. The magazine is no longer allowed to appear. Websites were blocked. During searches in several federal states, data carriers and copies of the magazine were seized. Faeser also banned the Conspect Film GmbH.
In the ban order, an expression from Editor-in-Chief Jürgen Elsaesser at a "Fundraising Gala" in the presence of employees is cited as evidence of a "combative-aggressive stance against constitutional order." Elsaesser is reported to have said at the June 2023 event, "And another important difference from other media: We want to overthrow this regime." Only with this goal in mind can one write the corresponding texts. In the order, information about the affiliations of several employees with the extremist party "The Homeland" (formerly NPD) is also listed.
When the Federal Administrative Court decides on the case is still uncertain. In the decision, it is expected to also consider how the ban reconciles with the constitutionally protected freedom of the press. "Compact" Editor-in-Chief Elsaesser spoke of an "unprecedented infringement on freedom of the press."
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended the ban in his summer press conference on a Wednesday as appropriate. "Freedom of the press is of the utmost importance for democracy in Germany," he said. And to freedom of the press belongs "being able to say a lot of nonsense, from the perspective of all others, and not being affected." At the same time, there are opinions that are banned in Germany, such as the glorification of National Socialism, antisemitic activities, and criminal statements, Scholz added.
The ongoing ban of "Compact" Magazine at the Federal Administrative Court raises concerns about right-wing extremism in politics, as the magazine's outspoken antisemitic views, as evident in the statement of its Editor-in-Chief, have been classified as a threat to the constitutional order. The Federal Administrative Court will also need to balance this ban with the constitutionally protected freedom of the press.
Despite the ban, the Federal Interior Minister's actions against "Compact" Magazine and Conspect Film GmbH have been defended by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, emphasizing the importance of freedom of the press while also acknowledging the existence of opinions that are prohibited in Germany, such as antisemitic activities.
