The list of penalties for insulting people in Germany reads like a classic Mastercard advert. Displaying your middle finger to a fellow motorist: €600 to €4,000. Using the informal version of the word “you” to a police officer: €600. Calling someone a “wanker”: €1,000.
To all this, a growing number of Germans are inclined to add that upholding freedom of expression is priceless.
