Unlawful ban of ‘Compact’ magazine and Nancy Faeser’s restricting of press freedom in the Federal Republic of Germany

Priority question for written answer P-001603/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Alexander Jungbluth (ESN)

On 16 July 2024, in a nationwide campaign in four federal states, Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, banned the magazine 'Compact' published by Jürgen Elsässer on the grounds that it breached 'the constitutional order as set out in Article 9 of the Basic Law and Section 3 of the Associations Act'[1]. The campaign included raids not only of the editorial offices but also of the private residences of staff. On 14 August 2024, the Federal Administrative Court partially suspended enforcement of the ban on the grounds that such action against COMPACT-Magazin GmbH, a distributer of online and print media, was incompatible with freedom of opinion and of the press (Article 5(1) of the German Basic Law), in breach of fundamental rights[2].

• 1.What view does the Commission take of Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser's demonstrably unlawful infringement upon freedom of opinion and of the press?
• 2.How does the Commission intend to ensure that the support and protection for independent media and journalists sought by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen[3] is also forthcoming at national level?
• 3.To what extent does the European Media Freedom Act[4] protect free and independent media outlets against arbitrary state action?

Submitted: 3.9.2024

• [1] https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/DE/2024/07/exekutive1.html
• [2] https://www.bverwg.de/de/pm/2024/39
• [3] Political Guidelines 2024-2029_DE_240815_205436.pdf
• [4] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/press-room/20240308IPR19014/medienfreiheitsgesetz-mehr-schutz-fur-journalisten-und-pressefreiheit-in-der-eu