A 59-year-old man from Bavaria is facing a hefty 6,000 euro fine after insulting prominent German politicians like Annalena Baerbock and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann on social media.
Originally, prosecutors sought a 9,600 euro fine, but the accused disagreed with the sum, leading to a reduced penalty.
On Thursday, the man was sentenced to 120 daily fines of 50 euros each for slandering the political figures. His posts on X (formerly Twitter) described Baerbock as the “stupidest foreign minister in the world,” accusing her of hindering peace talks and escalating war in Ukraine, even calling for her to face criminal court. He didn’t stop there—he also labeled Strack-Zimmermann as the “worst thing that could happen to Germany” and called Sawsan Chebli “the most incapable and stupid left-green the country has ever had.” The cherry on top was his insult towards Michael Roth, whom he referred to as a “Trottel” (fool), slamming him for being a “cowardly bedwife” instead of fighting in Ukraine.
Baerbock, one of the targets, filed a formal complaint, prompting the Coburg public prosecutor to seek the insult fine. After the Kronach district court issued the criminal order in early September, the man appealed.
In his defense, the man expressed concerns about his children’s future, claiming that political actions were setting the world on fire. “I keep informing myself and notice that the world is burning,” he argued. While admitting that he could’ve chosen his words more carefully, the judge was unsympathetic. The accused was told that reducing the sentence wasn’t an option. In the end, both the man and his defense team decided to withdraw any further objections, accepting the fine.
