“Palestine Congress” in Berlin: entry ban for Varoufakis

Germany wanted to prevent Greece’s former finance minister from taking part in the controversial event. How was initially unclear.

Protests against the ban on the “Palestine Conference” in Berlin at the weekend

Germany has imposed an entry ban on former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed this to the taz on Monday. Varoufakis, general secretary of the left-wing pan-European party Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (Diem25), was due to speak on Friday at the controversial “Palestine Congress” in Berlin, which was broken up and banned by police shortly after it began.

Anyone who spreads “Islamist propaganda and hatred against Jews” must know that such crimes will be prosecuted quickly and consistently, the spokeswoman told the taz. “Anti-Semitic and Islamist crimes will not be tolerated.” The BMI did not want to say what the 63-year-old Greek economist, politician and former finance minister was specifically accused of. It is “not possible” to provide information on “individual cases”.

Varoufakis is not an isolated case. The Interior Ministry has issued “activity bans” against two other participants in the canceled “Palestine Congress”, the 86-year-old Palestinian author Salman Abu Sitta and the doctor Ghassan Abu Sittah (55), rector of the University of Glasgow. Ghassan Abu Sittah was arrested on Friday He was denied entry at the airport in Berlin and had to take the return flight after a three-hour conversation. Varoufakis was not the only prominent guest who was prevented from speaking. Former Spanish equal opportunities minister Irene Montero from the left-wing Podemos party was also announced.

Cooperation between security authorities

The taz reported on Saturday that a “ban on activity” may also have been issued against Varoufakis. Varoufakis himself wrote on the online network This even applies to participation in online events, for example via the Zoom network. The police informed his lawyers of this on Friday. The Federal Ministry of the Interior did not want to confirm this on Saturday. A “ban on activity” would not be legally possible against EU citizens.

The “Handelsblatt” learned from security circles on Sunday that there was an entry ban. The federal and state security authorities had “already been in close contact in the run-up to the so-called Palestine Congress” and “taken necessary measures,” the BMI spokeswoman told the taz. Decisions about entry are made on site.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned Hamas and the Samidoun prisoner network in November 2023. “This means: Any activity is prohibited and is a criminal offense. This also includes propaganda speeches for Hamas,” explained the BMI in connection with the taz’s query. “The security authorities are monitoring very carefully to ensure that the bans are adhered to. We are keeping a close eye on the Islamist scene.”

Protests against ban on gatherings

The Berlin police broke up the controversial “Palestine Congress” on Friday shortly after it began. The organizers had just brought in the author Salman Abu Sittah as a speaker. The police explained that he was banned from political activity, explaining why they stormed the hall, switched off the electricity and soon afterwards broke up the meeting. She also announced a complete ban on the event for Saturday and Sunday. According to the police, up to 1,900 people came together in Berlin city center on Saturday to protest against the violent breakup of the conference.

The organizers sharply criticized the police’s actions. Democratic rights had been undermined, it was said. Lawyer Nadija Samour said at a press conference on Saturday that the police had made a “completely disproportionate” decision. Lesser measures were possible. Any attempt to protect the gathering was torpedoed by the police. There were no criminal statements, which the police also admitted.

The organizer was not aware of the ban on activities and had only been informed shortly beforehand. From the organizers’ point of view, the police action was illegal. An objection was lodged with the police so that the meeting, which was actually planned until Sunday, could continue.