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”.


Powerful Democratic Donors Terrified About 2028 Due to ‘Floundering’ DNC: Report
NY Sheriff Defies Kathy Hochul’s New Law That Seeks to Block Law Enforcement from Working with ICE
Pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer shifts toward Ukraine support
Trump questions Thune’s leadership as SAVE America Act stalls
Op-Ed: The First Amendment Isn’t Optional
Army veteran raves over Trump’s plan to ditch illegal alien truck drivers and hire vets
The generational divide over affordability in the Trump economy is all about housing
How One Congressional Resolution Could Save the Midterms: The GOP’s Hindu Vote Gamble
Troy Jackson swapped out Senate campaign official also behind the super PAC backing Abdul el Sayed
Mystery stranger vanishes after family says frantic warning saved their lives during devastating house fire
WNBA Headache Gets Bigger: More Sophie Cunningham Rallies Scheduled
Nancy Guthrie update: DNA couldn’t be profiled from crime scene hair sample, sheriff says
GOP gubernatorial candidate fighting to flip blue state unveils healthcare plan to lower costs, expand access
WATCH: GOP holdout rejects Trump threat as AG nominee standoff explodes
Influencer accused of targeting wealthy dating app matches back behind bars

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.


Powerful Democratic Donors Terrified About 2028 Due to ‘Floundering’ DNC: Report
NY Sheriff Defies Kathy Hochul’s New Law That Seeks to Block Law Enforcement from Working with ICE
Pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer shifts toward Ukraine support
Trump questions Thune’s leadership as SAVE America Act stalls
Op-Ed: The First Amendment Isn’t Optional
Army veteran raves over Trump’s plan to ditch illegal alien truck drivers and hire vets
The generational divide over affordability in the Trump economy is all about housing
How One Congressional Resolution Could Save the Midterms: The GOP’s Hindu Vote Gamble
Troy Jackson swapped out Senate campaign official also behind the super PAC backing Abdul el Sayed
Mystery stranger vanishes after family says frantic warning saved their lives during devastating house fire
WNBA Headache Gets Bigger: More Sophie Cunningham Rallies Scheduled
Nancy Guthrie update: DNA couldn’t be profiled from crime scene hair sample, sheriff says
GOP gubernatorial candidate fighting to flip blue state unveils healthcare plan to lower costs, expand access
WATCH: GOP holdout rejects Trump threat as AG nominee standoff explodes
Influencer accused of targeting wealthy dating app matches back behind bars

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.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter