DISINFO: Germany has a serious problem with freedom of speech
SUMMARY
No one will disagree that Germany has a serious problem with freedom of speech.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Western societies enjoy little to no freedom of speech and/or press. The German Constitution not only recognizes freedom of the press as a vital component of freedom of expression, but even upholds it as "an independent and separate freedom under article 5 of the Basic Law." Accordingly, Reporters Without Borders ranks Germany as the 11th media-friendliest state globally, noting that the country's "[s]olid constitutional gaurantees and an independent judiciary ensure a favourable environment for journalists." Pro-Kremlin outlets routinely decry the alleged erosion of press freedom in various Western states, while simultaneously claiming that Russian journalists enjoy far greater liberties than their European counterparts. See similar cases concerning The Netherlands, the Baltics, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom.