Ronen Steinke & Anna Clauß

Germany has never had as many and as strict laws regulating and restricting freedom of expression as it does today. In the past ten years, a large number of new paragraphs have been added to prohibit certain statements. The state defines sentences as punishable that only ten years ago fell under freedom of expression. Ronen Steinke shows where the boundaries of freedom of expression lie today – including in the digital space. In conversation with Anna Clauß, he discusses how we can dare to have more freedom of expression, respond to debates and be more courageous.

Ronen Steinke holds a doctorate in law and is a lecturer at Goethe University Frankfurt. He works as a senior editor in the politics department of the Süddeutsche Zeitung. In 2026, his book Meinungsfreiheit. How the police and judiciary restrict our fundamental right – and how we defend it.

Anna Clauß studied cultural economics in Passau and journalism in Munich. She has been head of the Opinion and Debate section at SPIEGEL since 2021.

In the series And now?

Information on the event series:
How Germany and Europe remain capable of acting
Germany and Europe are facing major challenges – but every crisis also opens up opportunities for renewal.
Under the title “And now?”, this series brings together renowned experts from politics, science, journalism and economics. They analyze the causes of the current crises and at the same time point out concrete perspectives: for a sustainable economy, a resilient democracy, a realistic European policy and a state that protects security and freedom in equal measure.