Politics · Germany · 10 hrs ago
German court orders minister to remove video about Left party
Germany’s Constitutional Court ordered Economy Minister Katherina Reiche to remove a video posted on her ministry’s Instagram account.
The clip showed parts of a speech Reiche gave on September 23, days after the Left party won Berlin’s election.
In it, she said the party’s positions on expropriation and what she called antisemitism threatened Berlin and Germany’s investment appeal.
The Left party said Reiche had broken rules requiring government bodies to remain politically neutral and had harmed its equal chance to compete in politics.
The court granted the party’s urgent request, finding that continued circulation could cause serious, lasting harm to fair political competition, particularly during talks to form a Berlin government.
Reiche must keep the video down until the court rules on the full case, or for no more than six months.
The full case will decide whether her statements were constitutional; the urgent ruling passed by a six-to-two vote.
Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ordered Economy Minister Katherina Reiche to remove a video posted on her ministry’s Instagram account.
The court granted an emergency application by the Left party while its main case is pending.
The video contains excerpts from a speech in which Reiche criticized a party’s positions on expropriation and antisemitism.
The order lasts until the main case is decided, but no longer than six months.
The court said continued circulation could cause the Left party serious, irreversible harm in political competition.
- Who
- The Federal Constitutional Court ordered Economy Minister Katherina Reiche to remove the video after the Left party filed an emergency application.
- What
- The court temporarily ordered the removal of a ministry Instagram video featuring excerpts from Reiche’s speech.
- When
- The ruling was reported on October 15, 2026. The speech was delivered on September 23.
- Where
- The case was heard by the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe; the video was posted on the ministry’s Instagram account.
- Why
- The Left party argued Reiche violated the neutrality duty of state bodies and harmed its right to equal participation in political competition.
The Left party
Reiche and her ministry
Neutrality
The Left party
The Left party said Reiche had violated the neutrality duty for state bodies by making one-sided, party-political statements.
Reiche and her ministry
Reiche’s lawyers defended her statements; a ministry spokesperson said the video continued a speech and concerned risks to Germany’s economic and investment location.
Video
The Left party
The party asked Reiche to remove the video and sought emergency relief from the court.
Reiche and her ministry
The ministry did not remove the video after the party’s request, but the court ordered its temporary removal.
Reiche delivered the speech excerpts later posted in the ministry’s Instagram video.
The Left party’s lawyers’ deadline for removing the video passed without its removal.
The Federal Constitutional Court granted the Left party’s emergency application and ordered the video’s temporary removal.
- Minister
- Katherina Reiche, Germany’s economy minister
- Court
- Federal Constitutional Court, Karlsruhe
- Vote
- 6–2
- Removal period
- Until the main case is decided, no longer than six months
- Video platform
- The ministry’s Instagram account
4 sources
Linke mit Eilantrag gegen Ministerin Katherina Reiche erfolgreich
Katherina Reiche: Linke mit Eilantrag gegen Reiche erfolgreich – Wirtschaftsministerin muss Video löschen
"Antisemitismus und Enteignung": Ministerin Reiche muss Instagram-Post über Linke löschen
What people are saying
serious, irreversible disadvantage with regard to its right to equal participation in political competition
one-sided and party-political
The post is the continuation of a speech before family businesses and clearly relates to the effects on and the endangerment of Germany’s economic location.