Damaging the “the symbols of the European Union” could result in a fine or a custodial term of up to three years under new laws proposed in Saxony, Germany.
Lawmakers in the German state want to pass new legislation “to take firm and effective action against those whose aim is to disparage the fundamental values of the European Union” by attacking “the reputation of the symbols of the European Union”, according to the Saarbrücker Zeitung regional newspaper.
The proposed law would make rendering the European Union flag — a circle of twelve gold pentagram stars on a field of blue — either “removed, destroyed, damaged, unusable or unrecognisable” a crime punishable by a fine or a custodial term of as much as three years, the newspaper reports.
While “the right to objective or legitimate criticism” would supposedly remain protected, the law’s proponents claim it is “a commandment of self-esteem” that Germany, as a founder member-state of the European Union, “protects [it] against malicious contempt”.
The law would also protect Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, which has been appropriated as the EU anthem.
The heavy-handed proposal follow moves by France, led by europhile globalist Emmanuel Macron, to make the display of the European Union flag compulsory in all school classrooms, state and private, earlier in 2019.
This followed the passage of an amendment by the National Assembly, as the French call their parliament, which was put forward by Éric Ciotti of the notionally centre-right Les Républicains (Republicans), with the backing of President Macron’s education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer.
Populist leader Marine Le Pen was sharply critical of efforts to these efforts to “impose this flag in the schools of our children,” as were some figures on the populist left.
Michel Larive, of the La France Insoumise (Unbowed France) party, complained that flags were already flown outside schools, and that this should be enough to engender “respect for the homeland without veering towards nationalism”.
“Schools are not barracks,” he added.
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