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”.


Not Just Minnesota Buzz About Somali-Linked Fraud Emerges in Two Additional States
Elon Musk unleashes on Tim Walz with new nickname amid Minnesota fraud investigations
Judge halts Homeland Security plan to end Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan
Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK’s granddaughter, dies at 35 after year-and-a-half leukemia battle
NFL Star Stefon Diggs Charged with Strangulation and Assault
Bipartisan House China panel slams Beijing’s Taiwan drills as ‘deliberate escalation’
UAE announces withdrawal of all forces from Yemen after Saudi ultimatum
Russia dismisses calls for evidence as doubt mounts against alleged Ukraine attack on Putin residence
Prepper czar warns Washington has US ‘set up for annihilation’
Artists cancel New Year’s Eve shows following ‘Trump–Kennedy Center’ rebrand
Watch: Scott Jennings Refuses to Let CNN Panel Twist Minnesota’s Somali Fraud Scandal
Rob and Michele Reiner Records Abruptly Sealed After Move by LAPD
Republicans eye Iowa Senate supermajority in Tuesday special election
Australian authorities say Bondi Beach suspects with Islamic State flags not part of ‘terrorist cell’
Saudi Arabia strikes Mukalla port over ‘extremely dangerous’ actions by ally UAE
See also  The biggest political events of 2025

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.


Not Just Minnesota Buzz About Somali-Linked Fraud Emerges in Two Additional States
Elon Musk unleashes on Tim Walz with new nickname amid Minnesota fraud investigations
Judge halts Homeland Security plan to end Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan
Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK’s granddaughter, dies at 35 after year-and-a-half leukemia battle
NFL Star Stefon Diggs Charged with Strangulation and Assault
Bipartisan House China panel slams Beijing’s Taiwan drills as ‘deliberate escalation’
UAE announces withdrawal of all forces from Yemen after Saudi ultimatum
Russia dismisses calls for evidence as doubt mounts against alleged Ukraine attack on Putin residence
Prepper czar warns Washington has US ‘set up for annihilation’
Artists cancel New Year’s Eve shows following ‘Trump–Kennedy Center’ rebrand
Watch: Scott Jennings Refuses to Let CNN Panel Twist Minnesota’s Somali Fraud Scandal
Rob and Michele Reiner Records Abruptly Sealed After Move by LAPD
Republicans eye Iowa Senate supermajority in Tuesday special election
Australian authorities say Bondi Beach suspects with Islamic State flags not part of ‘terrorist cell’
Saudi Arabia strikes Mukalla port over ‘extremely dangerous’ actions by ally UAE
See also  House lawmakers reflect on their memorable moments in Congress

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.


Not Just Minnesota Buzz About Somali-Linked Fraud Emerges in Two Additional States
Elon Musk unleashes on Tim Walz with new nickname amid Minnesota fraud investigations
Judge halts Homeland Security plan to end Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan
Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK’s granddaughter, dies at 35 after year-and-a-half leukemia battle
NFL Star Stefon Diggs Charged with Strangulation and Assault
Bipartisan House China panel slams Beijing’s Taiwan drills as ‘deliberate escalation’
UAE announces withdrawal of all forces from Yemen after Saudi ultimatum
Russia dismisses calls for evidence as doubt mounts against alleged Ukraine attack on Putin residence
Prepper czar warns Washington has US ‘set up for annihilation’
Artists cancel New Year’s Eve shows following ‘Trump–Kennedy Center’ rebrand
Watch: Scott Jennings Refuses to Let CNN Panel Twist Minnesota’s Somali Fraud Scandal
Rob and Michele Reiner Records Abruptly Sealed After Move by LAPD
Republicans eye Iowa Senate supermajority in Tuesday special election
Australian authorities say Bondi Beach suspects with Islamic State flags not part of ‘terrorist cell’
Saudi Arabia strikes Mukalla port over ‘extremely dangerous’ actions by ally UAE

Story cited here.

See also  Two more senior Heritage Foundation fellows resign as exodus continues
Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter