TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

12. A party in the German Bundestag wants to abolish freedom of the press. Is that possible?

Official German wording

Eine Partei im Deutschen Bundestag will die Pressefreiheit abschaffen. Ist das möglich?

  1. Ja, wenn mehr als die Hälfte der Abgeordneten im Bundestag dafür sind.
  2. Ja, aber dazu müssen zwei Drittel der Abgeordneten im Bundestag dafür sein.
  3. Nein, denn die Pressefreiheit ist ein Grundrecht. Sie kann nicht abgeschafft werden.
  4. Nein, denn nur der Bundesrat kann die Pressefreiheit abschaffen.

Answer options

  1. Yes, if more than half of the Members of the Bundestag are in favor.
  2. Yes, but for that two thirds of the Members of the Bundestag must be in favor.
  3. No, because freedom of the press is a fundamental right. It cannot be abolished.
  4. No, because only the Bundesrat can abolish freedom of the press.

Correct answer

No, because freedom of the press is a fundamental right. It cannot be abolished.

Explanation

Freedom of the press is guaranteed as a fundamental right in Article 5(1) of the Basic Law; limitations are permissible only under Article 5(2) and subject to strict proportionality. Abolishing it by ordinary statute would be plainly unconstitutional; even a constitutional amendment must respect the guarantee of the essential content (Art. 19(2)) and, under the eternity clause (Art. 79(3)), may not undermine the free democratic basic order grounded in Articles 1 and 20, to which communicative freedoms are constitutive. Any amendment of the Basic Law also requires qualified majorities in both Bundestag and Bundesrat (Art. 79(2)), so neither a single party nor the Bundestag alone can effect such abolition.

Official sources

The German questions come from the original BAMF catalog for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland. Translations and explanations are study aids; verify legal details in the official sources.