Free Republic

Germany’s likely new coalition government, expected to be formed between the conservatives (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD), is planning a law that could effectively ban politicians deemed ‘unpleasant’ or ‘populist’ from standing for election. A draft coalition paper, presented to the press last week, proposes a significant tightening of the country’s already repressive ‘incitement of the masses’ law. Under the proposal, politicians convicted more than once under the law would no longer be allowed to stand as a party candidate. Germany’s law against incitement of the masses (Section 130 of the Criminal Code) has long been a tool to...

“A New World Order With European Values.” Emblazoned across banners and signs, those words met the participants at this week’s meeting of the World Forum in Berlin. Each year, leaders, executives, journalists and academics gather to address the greatest threats facing humanity. This year, there was little doubt about what they view as the current threat: the resurgence of populism and free speech. In fairness to the Forum, “a New World Order” likely sounds more ominous for some civil libertarians than intended. While the European Union is a transnational government stretching across 27 nations, the organizers were referring to a...

The German government has finalized a 700-million-euro ($770.28 million) military aid package for Ukraine, the defense ministry said on Tuesday, the first day of a NATO summit in Vilnius. The package includes two Patriot launchers from Bundeswehr stock, 40 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 25 additional 1 A5 main battle tanks, as well as five Bergepanzer 2 tanks, the ministry said. It includes an additional 20,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and 5,000 rounds of 155 mm smoke ammunition, the ministry added. The package “serves Ukraine’s priorities: air defense, tanks, artillery ... with it, we are making an important contribution to...

World-renowned author Stephen King, best known for the “Shining” and “Carrie,” was duped by Russian pranksters into believing he was in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where he expressed his admiration for holocaust architect and war criminal Stepan Bandera.The pranksters Vovan and Lexus reported the video call with the U.S. author and outspoken liberal in an undated video published this week.King, who appears in a pro-Ukraine hat and t-shirt expresses his admiration for the Ukrainian president and Bandera after the pranksters bring up his name in the call.“They are people who really love Ukraine. It’s not Nazis. It’s...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that “what we learned from this COVID crisis” will be applied to climate change, sparking fears from some of future “climate lockdowns” that will restrict freedom of movement and consumption in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions.“Do you remember when we warned that covid lockdowns would segue into climate lockdowns?” obesity researcher Zoë Harcombe wrote on Twitter in response to a video clip of the comments.Marc Morano of Climate Depot, who highlighted the remarks on his website, expressed concern about the power that he thinks Trudeau and other world leaders may be seeking.“Declaring...