Europe once hailed as birthplace of free speech, now it seems intent on curtailing it

Europe is often heralded as the birthplace of free speech, but Europe seems intent on curtailing it.

Nowhere is this shift towards censorship more pronounced than in Germany .

Far-right Alternative for Germany made historic gains in the 2025 German federal election, securing second place with over twenty percent of the vote.

Walther Rathenau was assassinated by members of the right-wing extremist group Organisation Konsul in June 1922 .

In response to this brutal murder, the government swiftly passed the Law for the Protection of the Republic.

It also targeted Nazi propaganda, shutting down hundreds of publications, including Der Angriff .

Schleicher tried to weaken the Nazi Party by offering a power-sharing deal to Gregor Strasser , a Nazi leader who opposed Hitler , but Hitler managed to keep the party united.

By exploiting preexisting censorship mechanisms, he was able to silence dissent, crush opposition, muzzle the press, and tighten his grip on the nation.