“Steamroller”, “full post”, “train station alcoholic”: Such insults and insults are increasingly going too far for Green politicians like Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck. There is a hail of green criminal charges – with moderate success.
“The stupidest foreign minister in the world”. This is how a 58-year-old Bavarian recently described Annalena Baerbock on the platform X (formerly Twitter). According to the news portal Nius, they have now filed a criminal complaint against the X-User – for insults.
The man claimed in his post that Baerbock was hindering “peace talks” by supporting arms deliveries to Ukraine and was therefore responsible “for the deaths of many people.” In his opinion, she should be brought before the criminal court, similar to Russian President Vladimir Putin be asked – “lenient sentence because stupid”.
Such insults against the Greens have recently led to criminal proceedings with increasing frequency: it was only in March that Baerbock personally filed a criminal complaint against a Bavarian entrepreneur. The defendant had put up insulting posters in front of his property in Miesbach, which, among other things, depicted Green Party leader Ricarda Lang as a steamroller. Below it is the inscription: “We’ll destroy everything.”
Baerbock himself was pictured on the posters as a small child. She lost the case in the second instance in April. According to the court, Baerbock and Lang’s satirical depictions are covered by freedom of expression. Politicians in high office in particular have to endure criticism.
Meanwhile, Economics Minister Robert Habeck sued “Welt” columnist Rainer Meyer in April last year. The journalist had written in an According to the Berliner Zeitung, the background to the post could have been a picture of Habeck on Instagram, which showed the minister sitting on the floor of a train platform with his shirt open and his hair disheveled.
Habeck’s accusation: Meyer insulted the minister according to Section 188 of the Criminal Code. This trial also ended with an acquittal for the journalist. Habeck could still appeal the verdict.
The Green Economics Minister was proven right in the case against a man from Bavaria who had called him a “full-head” in a picture collage. The Wunsiedel public prosecutor’s office stated that the man had “degraded Habeck’s honor” with his actions. The court agreed with her. The defendant has to pay a fine of 2,100 euros.
It is no secret that, in addition to the increasing violence against Green politicians, public accusations and insults against them are increasing: “Threats, insults and the theft of campaign material are now simply part of our public actions,” said Janek Schmidt, spokesman, for example the Green Youth Thuringia, in conversation with “BuzzFeed News Germany”.
The fact is, however, that the Greens themselves often take harsh measures against unpopular representatives of other political camps: “Bye, you racist puke,” wrote the head of the Green Youth, Timon Dzienus, on Twitter last year to his former party colleague. The mayor of Tübingen, Boris Palmer, had to pay a fine of around 900 euros.
The Greens have founded the so-called “Green Network Fire Brigade” to combat hatred and agitation on the Internet. The party website says: “As the Green Network Fire Department, we discuss and like against the avalanches of comments from the right under Green posts.” Anyone can take part.
When it comes to insults and violence against politicians, it is essential that the state takes action, says the former state chairman of the Bavarian Greens, Thomas von Sarnowski: “Democracy thrives on different opinions and the dispute over the right policy, yes,” said the politician . But the limit is crossed “when threats, violence or insults occur. These are criminal offenses, we have to say it clearly.”
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