"Poison for our democracy": Vance criticizes the German justice system - and promptly receives a counterattack

Frankfurter Rundschau "Poison for our democracy": Vance criticizes the German justice system - and promptly receives a counterattack Lisa Mahnke • 3 hours • 2 minutes reading time Dispute over freedom of expression US Vice President J.D. Vance is harshly criticizing the German justice system. It criminalizes expressions of opinion. A Ministry of Justice disagrees. Washington D.C./Hanover - US Vice President J.D. Vance is lashing out at the German justice system: He accuses it of criminalizing expressions of opinion - the Lower Saxony Ministry of Justice counters. On the online platform X, Vance wrote: "Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing language will be a real burden on European-American relations." Orwell's dystopia in Germany? US Vice President Vance uses harsh comparison for German justice system The deputy of US President Donald Trump referred to an excerpt from a report by the US broadcaster CBS. The report uses the Lower Saxony justice system as an example, among other things, to explain how Germany is taking action against hate speech, threats and insults on the Internet. "This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the USA must reject this madness," wrote Vance. With the term "Orwellian," Vance is alluding to George Orwell's dystopian novel "1984" - a classic that depicts a society under total surveillance and strict censorship. His choice of words suggests that the German justice system acts like a control apparatus that suppresses unwelcome opinions. J.D. Vance also criticized European freedom of expression at the Munich Security Conference. Lower Saxony's justice system counters Trump's Vice President Vance: Hate speech "poison for our democracy" Lower Saxony's Ministry of Justice defends itself against criticism from the USA. "Hate and incitement on the Internet remain an acute danger for our free, democratic society," said a spokesman. "More and more people who are interested in factual discussions are withdrawing from the Internet - this is poison for diversity of opinion, poison for open discussions and therefore also poison for our democracy." The freedom of expression of individuals ends where comments or postings violate the rights and freedoms of others. "Crimes related to digital hate must therefore be consistently prosecuted and the perpetrators punished," emphasized the ministry in Hanover. The Lower Saxony Central Office for Combating Hate Crimes on the Internet, shown in the CBS report, is working in an exemplary manner with the federal government and other federal states. Vance attacks media in Europe - Trump himself is taking a stand against free press At the security conference in Munich, US Vice President Vance had already expressed the view that not enough was being done in Europe for free reporting, as defined by the US government. Meanwhile, Trump is continuing his media strategy against independent reporting. A conflict with the AP over the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico ultimately led to the press agency being banned from the White House. "I'm not sure Trump has a plan from the outset, but it's clear that the overall picture shows an administration that disregards a free press," NBC quoted law professor Rebecca Hamilton of American University as saying. Media that do not identify with the Trump agenda are considered enemies. "This shows a fundamental disrespect for the principles underlying a democratic commitment to a free press," she emphasized.