A federal court in Germany overturned the government’s ban on a magazine promoting right-wing politics that Berlin officials deemed dangerous.

A Leipzig administrative court ruled that Compact magazine, which aligns with the increasingly popular Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party, publishes “anti-constitutional” content but has not presented a threat to the country and is therefore protected by freedom of expression.

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Judge Ingo Kraft affirmed that “the constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press, even towards enemies of the constitution.”

“The basic law guarantees even the enemies of the constitution, with faith in the power of free societal debate, freedom of expression and the press,” the court ruled.

Jürgen Elsässer, editor-in-chief of Compact, called the decision a “victory for press freedom, for democracy, and for Germany.”

The Ministry of the Interior banned the publication in July 2024, calling it the “central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene.”

“This magazine incites unspeakable hatred against Jews, against people with a migration background, and against our parliamentary democracy,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said at the time. “Our message is very clear: We will not allow ethnicity to define who belongs to Germany and who does not. Our constitutional state protects all those who are persecuted because of their faith, their origins, their skin colour, or even their democratic stance.”

The accusations and government intervention led to a protracted legal battle covered widely by the German media.

Supporters of the magazine accused the government of targeting the publication due to its ideological affiliation with the AfD — the second-most popular political party in the nation, which is being targeted as an “extremist organization” by federal agencies.

Some politicians have explicitly called for the party to be banned from German politics, while U.S. leaders have voiced open support.

Elsässer noted the similarities between his case and the AfD’s and asserted that Compact‘s victory is a positive signal for the political party’s legal battles.

“If it wasn’t possible to ban Compact, it’s also impossible to ban the AfD,” Elsässer said.

AFD PERSISTS THROUGH GERMAN OFFICIALS’ ATTEMPTS TO QUASH RISING POPULARITY

Compact immediately capitalized on the legal victory, selling branded T-shirts and bathrobes with “Victory!” slogans.

The magazine has a circulation of approximately 40,000 and an accompanying online video outfit.