Constitutional Court Orders Economy Minister to Remove Anti-Left Video

Katherina Reiche, Germany's Economy Minister, was ordered by the Federal Constitutional Court to remove a video posted on the ministry's Instagram account that accused the Left party of promoting expropriation and openly tolerating antisemitism in the capital. The Left filed an emergency application after the minister failed to respond to a cease-and-desist demand, prompting the court to intervene before a final ruling.

Judges in Karlsruhe emphasized that the post was disseminated under official authority, violating the requirement for impartial use of government channels. Janis Ehling of the Left condemned the episode as a "shabby" political smear campaign by CDU ministers. The dispute comes as the Left, having become Berlin's strongest party in the recent state election, seeks to form a red-green-red coalition with the Greens and SPD, while also pursuing legal action against other officials for similar social-media accusations.