Freedom of expression in Germany is being increasingly constrained, with 74 percent of citizens believing people are holding back their opinions out of fear of repercussions, according to a new survey by Insa.
This growing trend is illustrated by recent high-profile cases, such as individuals facing criminal convictions for insulting politicians on social media and even pensioners receiving police visits over internet memes.
The data suggests draconian enforcement measures are having a devastating effect on freedom of expression, particularly among young people and those with socially conservative values.
Among respondents aged 18 to 39, 53 percent reported having experienced situations where they felt unable to speak openly. By contrast, this figure drops to 24 percent for those over 70, indicating that younger generations are significantly more inhibited.
Political affiliation plays a crucial role in perceptions of free speech with 74 percent of right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters admitting to self-censoring at least once, followed by 57 percent of voters for the new Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). In contrast, supporters of left-leaning parties feel much less constrained; only 27 percent of those supporting the Greens reported any hesitancy in expressing their views, while 31 percent of the governing Social Democrats (SPD) felt similarly.
When asked more broadly whether they believed some people avoid speaking their minds due to fear of consequences, an overwhelming 74 percent of all respondents said yes. Among AfD and BSW voters, the numbers were even higher at 91 percent and 90 percent respectively, suggesting that concerns over freedom of expression are a systemic issue in Germany.
The findings underscore the deepening divisions in Germany over the state of freedom of expression, with younger generations, right-leaning voters, and even moderates expressing fears of censorship or backlash.
While some parties and their supporters remain confident in their ability to voice opinions freely, the data paints a picture of a society increasingly wary of speaking out, particularly as legal actions and public rebukes continue to shape the discourse.
This month alone, Remix News has extensively covered several high-profile cases where ordinary citizens have received considerable fines for directing insults at politicians in the increasingly unpopular federal government.
A 64-year-old pensioner retweeted a meme of Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck, in which Habeck was described as an “idiot,” resulting in Bavarian police raiding the man’s house and arresting him. The crime was even recorded as a “politically motivated right-wing crime.”
Another incident in Bavaria saw a woman finally acquitted after a nearly two-year-long ordeal; she had been initially fined €6,000 for calling German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock a “hollow brat” in a post on X that was viewed just 216 times.
The criminal charges aren’t just reserved for politicians. Just this week, a German man who described a judge as “obviously mentally disturbed” — after the judge issued a light sentence to a Syrian who raped a 15-year-old girl — was slapped with a €5,000 fine for “insulting” the judge. This fine was almost double the fine given to the Syrian rapist for the sexual assault.
These instances have been ongoing for years, with Remix News reporting back in March 2022 how over 100 people had seen their homes raided across Germany for “insulting” politicians, as police had been instructed to conduct a nationwide crackdown on what they called “hate mail” targeting those in public office.
In an interview with Nius earlier this week, defense lawyer Udo Vetter criticized the current system, revealing that Germany faces over 140,000 open arrest warrants for insults against politicians.
“Crime is getting out of hand and everything is going down the drain, and we have to spend so many, countless hours of work with such things — wasting our time,” he added.
