German Federal Constitutional Court orders removal of minister's video

The German Federal Constitutional Court has issued an interim injunction requiring Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Katherina Reiche (CDU), to remove a video from the ministry's Instagram profile. The video, posted following the Berlin state election, accused the Die Linke party of openly practicing antisemitism and being detrimental to the economy through proposed expropriations.

Die Linke filed the application for an interim injunction, arguing that the minister violated her duty of neutrality by using official ministry channels to campaign against a political competitor. The court ruled that allowing the video to remain during ongoing government formation talks in Berlin could cause 'irreparable damage' to the party's right to equal participation in political competition.

The court has not yet ruled on the merits of the underlying constitutional complaint regarding whether Reiche's statements were unconstitutional. While the video must be removed from the official ministry account for now, the court noted that Reiche may still express herself as a party politician or address economic risks in her capacity as a minister.