Germany Considers Overhauling Law on Insulting Politicians

The Christian Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the 'Greens' Party believe that the law needs to be reviewed.

Consensus

All major German political parties agree that Article 188 of the German Criminal Code needs to be changed.
The discussion was triggered by high-profile cases involving public criticism of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Article 188 criminalizes public insults and defamation of politicians, including in social media, and has been in effect since 1951.
The law was strengthened in 2021 by Angela Merkel's government in response to right-wing extremism and attacks on politicians.
Penalties under the law include fines or up to three years in prison for insult, and up to five years for defamation.
The law applies to public statements related to a politician's official duties.
There is no consensus on how or when to reform the law, and no specific timeline has been set.

The Left Party and AfD call for the complete repeal of Article 188, while CDU, SPD, and Greens propose narrowing its application. — vedomosti
The law has been in effect since 1951 and was strengthened in 2021; it provides special protection to politicians. — fontanka
The CDU, SPD, and Greens do not plan to introduce draft bills in the near future. — kommersant
The law was strengthened after the murder of CDU deputy Walter Lübcke and attacks on local politicians during the pandemic. — vesti
The CDU believes the law should primarily protect municipal politicians, who face more aggression. — vedomosti
A CDU minister stated that high-level politicians should be able to withstand harsh criticism. — kommersant
The Left Party argues that politicians like Merz themselves frequently insult ordinary citizens. — vedomosti
The law requires proof that the insult is linked to the person’s political status. — fontanka