International News Opinons Politics

German Federal Council Passes Bill Giving Three Years in Prison for Denigrating EU Flag

The German Bundesrat, the upper chamber of the German parliament, has proposed banning Germans from denigrating both the European Union flag and anthem.

The Bundesrat, which is composed of delegates from the German states, passed a bill that could see individuals who either denigrate the EU flag or the EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, punished with a fine or up to three years in prison, Die Welt reports.

German newspaper Saarbrücken Zeitung obtained a draft of the law earlier this year that urged law enforcement agencies “to take firm and effective action against those whose aim is to disparage the fundamental values ​​of the European Union”.


The draft continued, stating that violations would also cover attacks “on the reputation of the symbols of the European Union”.


‘Loyal soldier’: A day on the trail with JD Vance, Trump’s ‘human Swiss Army Knife’
Trump brags about secret weapon that was key to Maduro capture: ‘The discombobulator’
Trump cites armed suspect, lack of police support following fatal Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis
Pritzker urges ‘unified response’ from Democrat, Republican governors after Border Patrol shoots armed man
Elizabeth Smart reveals her kidnapper tried to abduct her teen cousin as his ‘next wife’
Breaking: Armed Illegal Wanted for Assault Shot By Border Patrol in Minneapolis After Attacking Officer, Riots Follow
Chaos Erupts in Minneapolis as Leftists Riot in the Streets Over the Death of Armed Illegal Criminal Who Attacked Officer
Who the Anti-ICE Crowd Is Defending: ‘Monster’ Illegal Hit Third-Grade Girl with Baseball-Sized Stone
‘The View’ Co-Host Whines About Trump Showing Photos of Rapist, Murderer Illegals Because of Their Skin Color
Man shot and killed in incident involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis
Millions go without power as Russia launches barrage at Ukraine during peace talks
Parents’ relentless hunt for missing daughter heats up as new tech breathes life into case
Pentagon Contractor Indicted for Leaking Classified Info to the Washington Post
Trump warns Canada of 100% tariffs if it becomes China’s ‘drop off port’ with new potential trade deal
Legal Analyst: There Are Still Several Ways Pam Bondi Can Charge Don Lemon for His Conduct
See also  Trump brags about secret weapon that was key to Maduro capture: ‘The discombobulator’

The newly passed bill must now be ratified by the Bundestag, although no date for a vote on the matter has been scheduled so far.

Germany has laws on the books that outlaw the denigration of foreign flags and national emblems but so far, the European Union’s flag and symbols have not been recognised under the laws.


‘Loyal soldier’: A day on the trail with JD Vance, Trump’s ‘human Swiss Army Knife’
Trump brags about secret weapon that was key to Maduro capture: ‘The discombobulator’
Trump cites armed suspect, lack of police support following fatal Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis
Pritzker urges ‘unified response’ from Democrat, Republican governors after Border Patrol shoots armed man
Elizabeth Smart reveals her kidnapper tried to abduct her teen cousin as his ‘next wife’
Breaking: Armed Illegal Wanted for Assault Shot By Border Patrol in Minneapolis After Attacking Officer, Riots Follow
Chaos Erupts in Minneapolis as Leftists Riot in the Streets Over the Death of Armed Illegal Criminal Who Attacked Officer
Who the Anti-ICE Crowd Is Defending: ‘Monster’ Illegal Hit Third-Grade Girl with Baseball-Sized Stone
‘The View’ Co-Host Whines About Trump Showing Photos of Rapist, Murderer Illegals Because of Their Skin Color
Man shot and killed in incident involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis
Millions go without power as Russia launches barrage at Ukraine during peace talks
Parents’ relentless hunt for missing daughter heats up as new tech breathes life into case
Pentagon Contractor Indicted for Leaking Classified Info to the Washington Post
Trump warns Canada of 100% tariffs if it becomes China’s ‘drop off port’ with new potential trade deal
Legal Analyst: There Are Still Several Ways Pam Bondi Can Charge Don Lemon for His Conduct
See also  What will Trump’s Greenland obsession mean for the future of NATO?

The country also has laws against insulting foreign heads of state, a law that nearly saw the prosecution of left-wing comedian Jan Böhmermann in 2016 over an offensive poem about Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that was later banned by a German court.

While charges were initiated against Böhmermann, they were later dropped, with Chancellor Angela Merkel even admitting that she had made an “error” in viewing the poem as “deliberately insulting”.

In neighbouring France, the government has forced schools across the country to start flying the EU flag alongside the French tricolore.

The move was part of educational reforms enacted by French president Emmanuel Macron that also lowered the age of compulsory school entry from six to three years old.


‘Loyal soldier’: A day on the trail with JD Vance, Trump’s ‘human Swiss Army Knife’
Trump brags about secret weapon that was key to Maduro capture: ‘The discombobulator’
Trump cites armed suspect, lack of police support following fatal Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis
Pritzker urges ‘unified response’ from Democrat, Republican governors after Border Patrol shoots armed man
Elizabeth Smart reveals her kidnapper tried to abduct her teen cousin as his ‘next wife’
Breaking: Armed Illegal Wanted for Assault Shot By Border Patrol in Minneapolis After Attacking Officer, Riots Follow
Chaos Erupts in Minneapolis as Leftists Riot in the Streets Over the Death of Armed Illegal Criminal Who Attacked Officer
Who the Anti-ICE Crowd Is Defending: ‘Monster’ Illegal Hit Third-Grade Girl with Baseball-Sized Stone
‘The View’ Co-Host Whines About Trump Showing Photos of Rapist, Murderer Illegals Because of Their Skin Color
Man shot and killed in incident involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis
Millions go without power as Russia launches barrage at Ukraine during peace talks
Parents’ relentless hunt for missing daughter heats up as new tech breathes life into case
Pentagon Contractor Indicted for Leaking Classified Info to the Washington Post
Trump warns Canada of 100% tariffs if it becomes China’s ‘drop off port’ with new potential trade deal
Legal Analyst: There Are Still Several Ways Pam Bondi Can Charge Don Lemon for His Conduct

Story cited here.

See also  Maine’s bipartisan brand of political nepotism
Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter