The publisher of the far-right political magazine Compact, which was recently banned by the German government, attacked the government in Berlin on Saturday and expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Jürgen Elsässer received loud applause for his speech at a rally of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Elsässer called Interior Minister Nancy Faeser a fascist, called Defense Minister Boris Pistorius a war criminal and insulted Green Party leader Ricarda Lang in his opening speech at the AfD congress.
“And of course I will not be forbidden to say: I am a supporter of Putin,” Elsässer declared to applause from the crowd.
Elsässer’s magazine Compact was banned by the German Interior Ministry on July 16, saying it had become a “central mouthpiece of the far-right scene.”
But Elsässer recently won a preliminary victory in court when judges questioned the proportionality of the government’s action and lifted the ban, at least for the time being.
The ruling by the German Federal Administrative Court means that the magazine may be published again under certain conditions.
The court has not yet made a final decision on this matter and will initiate additional proceedings.
Elsässaer presented himself confidently at the AfD congress in the city of Magdeburg, saying his legal successes showed that “victory is possible”.
He cheered the AfD to power in the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt.
