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Merz files thousands of online defamation complaints
(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reportedly filed almost 5,000 defamation complaints over online comments, according to Welt am Sonntag. The complaints, which span 2021 to February 2025, date from Merz’s time as a Bundestag member before he became chancellor.
The complaints targeted a wide range of online insults, from being called a “filthy drunk” to a “little Nazi.” In some instances, police conducted home searches; one search of an elderly wheelchair-bound woman was later criticized because authorities confiscated her phone, which she used for communication with caregivers and doctors. Courts also declared at least one search unlawful.
Legal experts described the volume of complaints as excessive, calling it “a complete overreaction of the justice system.” The report characterized Merz as “one of the most sensitive politicians” in German history.
Merz’s political standing has suffered recently: his approval rating dropped to 22%, a record low, amid a coalition government struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, infighting over immigration, pensions, and military service reforms.
The revelations highlight tensions between public criticism online and the German legal approach to defamation, as well as the political challenges facing Merz.
The complaints targeted a wide range of online insults, from being called a “filthy drunk” to a “little Nazi.” In some instances, police conducted home searches; one search of an elderly wheelchair-bound woman was later criticized because authorities confiscated her phone, which she used for communication with caregivers and doctors. Courts also declared at least one search unlawful.
Legal experts described the volume of complaints as excessive, calling it “a complete overreaction of the justice system.” The report characterized Merz as “one of the most sensitive politicians” in German history.
Merz’s political standing has suffered recently: his approval rating dropped to 22%, a record low, amid a coalition government struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, infighting over immigration, pensions, and military service reforms.
The revelations highlight tensions between public criticism online and the German legal approach to defamation, as well as the political challenges facing Merz.
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