2024-08-05 23:17:40
Politicians are repeatedly the target of verbal and physical attacks. Many of them defend themselves against this – like the Vice Chancellor.
According to a report in the “Welt”, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has filed hundreds of reports of so-called hate messages since April 2023. The more than 700 reports were filed through the ministry and Habeck’s parliamentary office, the newspaper writes, citing information also available to the German Press Agency. Habeck is working with specialized law firms and the organization HateAid. The reported messages also included specific threats of violence.
Habeck is no exception among top politicians. The Foreign Office says that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is repeatedly the target of criminal threats, insults and incitements to hatred and consistently files criminal charges in such cases.
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said that Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), like other politicians, is regularly affected by hate crimes on the internet. Where such posts could be relevant to criminal law and come to the Ministry’s attention, criminal charges are filed. There are no statistics on how often Minister Faeser or the Ministry files criminal charges.
According to information from “Welt”, the Vice Chancellor’s security level was increased due to the threat situation. A spokeswoman for the ministry did not confirm this when asked by the newspaper and stated that they do not comment on security aspects as a matter of principle.
A spokeswoman reportedly said that the proceedings were aimed at deleting comments that were relevant to criminal law and demanding that a cease-and-desist declaration be signed and that monetary compensation be paid. Habeck would donate any payments “minus the costs incurred” – entirely to a non-profit organization, the “Welt” newspaper quoted the ministry as saying.
Habeck told the paper that hatred poisons political discourse. “It is meant to intimidate and creates an atmosphere of fear.” In a world of hate, no one addresses problems or makes suggestions. We must not allow this brutality to become the norm.
At the beginning of the year, angry farmers prevented the Vice Chancellor from leaving a ferry after he returned from a private trip to Hallig Hooge. According to the shipping company, the ship was almost stormed. The background to the protests was planned cuts in subsidies for farmers.
Other politicians have also been the target of attacks in recent months. For example, Dresden SPD politician Matthias Ecke was brutally beaten during the European election campaign in May.