Catalogue question 12 · Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01
A party in the German Bundestag wants to abolish freedom of the press. Is that possible?
- Yes, if more than half of the members of the Bundestag are in favour.
- Yes, but two-thirds of the members of the Bundestag must be in favour.
- No, because freedom of the press is a basic right. It cannot be abolished. Correct
- No, because only the Bundesrat can abolish freedom of the press.
Why — for every option
- A — A simple majority is not enough to amend the Basic Law — and even a majority could not touch the essential core of a basic right.
- B — Even a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag and Bundesrat could not fully abolish freedom of the press, because the "eternity clause" (Art. 79(3) Basic Law) protects the core of basic rights.
- C — Correct: freedom of the press is a basic right (Art. 5(1) Basic Law) and its essential core is protected from abolition by the eternity clause (Art. 79(3) Basic Law).
- D — The Bundesrat alone has no power to abolish basic rights; constitutional amendments require the Bundestag and Bundesrat together — and even then the core of press freedom is untouchable.
Source: www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Last checked: · Question catalogue in force since 2024-07-01 · Every figure on this page is checked against its primary source.