The magazine “Compact”, classified as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is no longer allowed to be present. The Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) has banned the media company and Conspect Film GmbH. According to their ministry, the emergency services searched the premises of the organization as well as the homes of prominent players, management and shareholders in Brandenburg, Hesse, Pirna in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt this morning.
The aim of the raid was to confiscate assets and evidence, he said in a statement. Among other things, a house in Falkensee, Brandenburg, whose address is mentioned in the print of the magazine, was searched. The police took copies of the magazine and technical equipment out of the building.
The “close” editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer spoke of a profound violation of press freedom and told reporters: “What we have in the Federal Republic of Germany today is an undemocratic regime like the regime of the SED.”
Faeser justifies the ban by saying that “Compact” is a “central mouthpiece for the extreme right-wing scene.” She says: “This magazine incites in unspeakable ways against Jews, against people with a migrant background and against our parliamentary democracy.” and… “Trying to harbor migrants and defeat our democratic state”.
“Anti-democratic positions”
As early as 2022, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution ruled that the magazine, under the leadership of editor-in-chief Elsässer, “as a multimedia company, presents anti-democratic and inhuman positions in society.” The main players of the magazine maintain contacts with important players in the so-called New Right.
In the online store “Compact” you could recently buy a medal, among other things, like the Thuringian AfD state chairman Björn Höcke. Elsässer cheers his listeners at events with sayings like “I go home and make friends with Russia.” AfD’s main candidate in the European elections, Maximilian Krah, who was criticized within the party after several scandals, was given the title “Patriot” and “People’s Agent” by “Compact”.
It is not enough to ban an organization if it exhibits an anti-constitutional position. Another requirement is that she does this in an aggressive, combative manner. The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) said in its statement that there are fears that readers and viewers of “Compact” media products will be encouraged and encouraged to act against the constitutional order by the publications, which “offensively propagate the destruction. of the political order.”
The ministry also attests that the media company has an “ethno-nationalist social concept” and refers to its “resistance and revolutionary rhetoric”.
Criticism of Faeser from the AfD – encouragement from the Greens
AfD co-chairs Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel wrote in a joint statement: “We are watching these events with great concern.” Faeser was supported by the Greens, among others.
Party leader Omid Nouripour wrote on Platform Signal about the rule of law for his enemies.
Last year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock were guests in quick succession during the mayoral election campaign in Falkensee, which was now the focus of the search. Scholz was shouted at and met at the European Festival in June 2023. One group shouted “warmongers”, “make peace without weapons” and “get out!”.