Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) has voiced doubts about paragraph 188 of the German Criminal Code, the provision that imposes harsher penalties for insults directed at politicians. She stated that the 2021 expansion of the paragraph was a “direct reaction” to the murder of Walter Lübcke but stressed that authorities must continually assess whether it achieves the intended effect or requires adjustment.
Hubig noted that convictions under paragraph 188 have risen sharply, with around 300 cases recorded in 2024. She said it is unclear whether the charges affect national or local politicians. Public debate tends to focus on borderline cases that are difficult to understand from a distance. Nonetheless, she emphasized that the rule of law functions properly and allows such decisions to be corrected if necessary.
According to Hubig herself, she has never used paragraph 188. She remarked, “Since I became Justice Minister, I have never filed a complaint”. During her tenure as Education Minister in Rhineland‑Palatinate-when the COVID‑19 pandemic also unfolded-she filed a single complaint, adding that “you can imagine I received some pushback from that”.