The false impression of the endangered freedom of expression in Germany

Anyone who publicly says that one can no longer freely express one's opinion in this country refutes the claim simply by being able to express it. Nevertheless, the perception persists that freedom of expression is threatened or no longer exists.

In an article for the “Research & Teaching” platform, political scientist Richard Traunmüller explains what the causes of this apparent contradiction lie – and what surprises the empirical evidence has in store. It's a matter of weighing up the costs and benefits: If the subjectively expected costs of expressing an opinion are too high, some people prefer to remain silent - and the feeling prevails that they can no longer freely say what they think. If, on the other hand, the expected benefit is greater, nothing stands in the way of free expression of opinion.

Traunmüller counts “contradiction and social disapproval, but also personal attacks, defamation” and “professional or legal consequences” among possible costs. Contrary to popular belief, the proportion of those who do not feel free to express their opinion has not increased significantly in the past three years, ranging from 28 to 30 percent. This is the result of a survey from the German Internet Panel, to which the political scientist refers.

What is even more surprising is that the reactions to supposedly unpleasant opinions are less harsh than expected. The experience of receiving harsh criticism and defamation because you said what you think has declined drastically since 2024. The media-generated excitement that freedom of expression could be at risk lacks an empirical foundation in many places.

Data that shows where the limits of opinion tolerance lie are also informative. They depend less on principles than on the specific groups that are concerned. If a discriminatory statement is made against Muslims, for example, more than 58 percent of those surveyed find freedom of expression more important than protection against discrimination, which only 27.5 percent consider to be more important. If it applies to women, the proportion of those who give priority to protection against discriminatory statements over freedom of expression predominates at 58 percent. When it comes to trans people, a relative majority (almost 44 percent) finds freedom of expression more important.

Those who argue about what one is actually allowed to say are often negotiating much more than just the right to freedom of expression. Recognizing this would take the divided debate a significant step further.

Political editor Hannah Bethke is responsible for the SPD at WELT and writes about domestic political debates.