Merz: No criminal complaints filed for insults since becoming chancellor

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany's CDU party, has stated that he no longer pursues legal action against insults directed at him since assuming his current role. "Since I have been in office, I have not filed a single criminal complaint," Merz said during a government open house event.

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Since I have been in office, I have not filed a single criminal complaint.

Merz explained that in many instances, prosecutors initiate legal proceedings for statements made against politicians on their own initiative, without requiring a formal complaint. He expressed surprise at the sheer volume of such cases. Personally, Merz claims to be unfazed by such remarks, stating, "If someone calls me an idiot, then let them do it. I disagree, but that doesn't make it a criminal offense."

However, Merz lamented the increasingly harsh tone in political discourse, particularly with the rise of social media. He recalled a time before social media when there was a societal consensus that crude insults should not be part of political language. He argued that the rules should be the same in the digital world as in the analog one.

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If someone calls me an idiot, then let them do it. I disagree, but that doesn't make it a criminal offense.

Merz indicated openness to discussing reforms of Paragraph 188 of the German Criminal Code, which protects politicians from insults, defamation, and slander. He drew a line when insults target an office rather than an individual, stating, "The moment state offices are damaged, that's where the fun stops for me." He believes such attacks harm democracy and fall outside the scope of freedom of speech.

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The moment state offices are damaged, that's where the fun stops for me.