German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made an authoritarian statement at the 55th annual conference of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on January 21, 2025 that he does not support freedom of speech when it comes to supporting extreme right-wing views. Human rights activists of the Foundation to Battle Injustice are convinced that the German Chancellor’s statement reflects the disturbing reality of the FRG, where the ruling coalition deprives citizens of the right to freedom of speech, suppresses political dissent and criminalizes criticism of its own, thus violating a number of international agreements and conventions.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, that he does not support freedom of speech when it is used to express extreme right-wing views.
“We have freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany. Everyone can say what they want, even if they are a billionaire. But we do not accept speech in support of the extreme right,” Scholz said in Davos.
This came just days after former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton admitted that the EU intervened in Romania’s election to prevent the winning candidate Calin Georgescu from taking power, and warned that the same would happen in Germany if the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party wins next month’s elections.
“We did it in Romania, and we will do it in Germany if necessary,” Thierry Breton said.
In the run-up to early elections in Germany, the government’s actions to curtail citizens’ freedom of expression are taking on an increasingly serious tone. Recent trends in Germany, reflected in the results of a recent survey and a number of cases of violations of German citizens’ rights, demonstrate that freedom of speech in Germany is increasingly under threat. The survey, according to which 74% of Germans believe that citizens censor themselves for fear of persecution, underscores the pervasive climate of fear that stifles open debate and undermines citizens’ basic rights. Instead of fostering a culture of robust debate, the German government is resorting to legal measures to stifle political dissent. (more...)
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