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”.


Houthis attack two Saudi tankers, with oil prices jumping in response
One of Charlie Kirk’s Final Endorsements Wins Big in Gubernatorial Primary
AOC roasted over defense bill claim as GOP lawmaker tells her to ‘stop stoking Jew hatred’
Bill Cassidy could deliver Trump his latest Iran war rebuke after U.S. casualties
Arkansas cop tragically dies saving fiancée’s life just hours after proposing
Border K9 sniffs out 99 pounds of prohibited meat, plants and monitor lizard in suitcase from Thailand
Bear caught on camera perched atop New Mexico utility pole before reportedly suffering fatal electrocution
Teachers who once dated and share child arrested after classroom argument spiraled into violence: police
Jack Smith hit with criminal referral as GOP moves testimony fight toward prosecution
Trump salutes ‘great heroes’ as he attends dignified transfer of US service members killed in Jordan, Iraq
Survivor of Hamas terror attack in Israel slams Mamdani over ‘dangerous’ video about Netanyahu
Far-left ‘Squad’ Dems mix up Jewish colleagues in botched attack — then get burned by their own votes
Ethiopian Immigrant Arrested After Execution of 3 Rental Workers – Felt He Was Being Discriminated Against
Judge questions whether Hegseth’s testosterone plan undermines transgender troops ban
Newsom turns to Hunter Biden’s high-powered ex-lawyer as federal scrutiny closes in on his family, allies
See also  Five dead after group attempts to save struggling swimmer in Ohio

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.


Houthis attack two Saudi tankers, with oil prices jumping in response
One of Charlie Kirk’s Final Endorsements Wins Big in Gubernatorial Primary
AOC roasted over defense bill claim as GOP lawmaker tells her to ‘stop stoking Jew hatred’
Bill Cassidy could deliver Trump his latest Iran war rebuke after U.S. casualties
Arkansas cop tragically dies saving fiancée’s life just hours after proposing
Border K9 sniffs out 99 pounds of prohibited meat, plants and monitor lizard in suitcase from Thailand
Bear caught on camera perched atop New Mexico utility pole before reportedly suffering fatal electrocution
Teachers who once dated and share child arrested after classroom argument spiraled into violence: police
Jack Smith hit with criminal referral as GOP moves testimony fight toward prosecution
Trump salutes ‘great heroes’ as he attends dignified transfer of US service members killed in Jordan, Iraq
Survivor of Hamas terror attack in Israel slams Mamdani over ‘dangerous’ video about Netanyahu
Far-left ‘Squad’ Dems mix up Jewish colleagues in botched attack — then get burned by their own votes
Ethiopian Immigrant Arrested After Execution of 3 Rental Workers – Felt He Was Being Discriminated Against
Judge questions whether Hegseth’s testosterone plan undermines transgender troops ban
Newsom turns to Hunter Biden’s high-powered ex-lawyer as federal scrutiny closes in on his family, allies
See also  Five dead after group attempts to save struggling swimmer in Ohio

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.


Houthis attack two Saudi tankers, with oil prices jumping in response
One of Charlie Kirk’s Final Endorsements Wins Big in Gubernatorial Primary
AOC roasted over defense bill claim as GOP lawmaker tells her to ‘stop stoking Jew hatred’
Bill Cassidy could deliver Trump his latest Iran war rebuke after U.S. casualties
Arkansas cop tragically dies saving fiancée’s life just hours after proposing
Border K9 sniffs out 99 pounds of prohibited meat, plants and monitor lizard in suitcase from Thailand
Bear caught on camera perched atop New Mexico utility pole before reportedly suffering fatal electrocution
Teachers who once dated and share child arrested after classroom argument spiraled into violence: police
Jack Smith hit with criminal referral as GOP moves testimony fight toward prosecution
Trump salutes ‘great heroes’ as he attends dignified transfer of US service members killed in Jordan, Iraq
Survivor of Hamas terror attack in Israel slams Mamdani over ‘dangerous’ video about Netanyahu
Far-left ‘Squad’ Dems mix up Jewish colleagues in botched attack — then get burned by their own votes
Ethiopian Immigrant Arrested After Execution of 3 Rental Workers – Felt He Was Being Discriminated Against
Judge questions whether Hegseth’s testosterone plan undermines transgender troops ban
Newsom turns to Hunter Biden’s high-powered ex-lawyer as federal scrutiny closes in on his family, allies

Story cited here.

See also  Five dead after group attempts to save struggling swimmer in Ohio
Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter