Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has been refused entry to Germany to attend a pro-Palestinian conference in Berlin. Now, the German media confirms that there is an entry ban on Varoufakis from entering the country, with the conference he was set to attend shut down in a matter of minutes.
Several bans on entry to Germany were imposed, including one against Varoufakis “to prevent any anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli propaganda at the event,” German security authorities told AFP.
Varoufakis, co-founder of the pan-European left-wing DiEM25 party, wrote on social networking site X on Saturday that the German Interior Ministry had issued an “activity ban” against him, meaning “a ban on any political activity.”
Varoufakis has been an outspoken critic of Germany’s support of Israel, claiming the country is complicit in genocide in a series of videos he has released in recent months.
Varoufakis stated that his ban on speaking in Germany also applies to participation in online events, for example via the Zoom network.
However, according to one source speaking to Handelsblatt newspaper, there is indeed a ban on entry to Germany for the former politician, who was once seen as a champion of the left in Europe.
German police interrupted and then banned the conference on Friday, less than an hour after it began, because one of the speakers reportedly did not have a permit for political activity in Germany.
Police later said on X that they had banned the conference, which was scheduled to take place from Friday until Sunday.
The war in Gaza has sparked controversy in Germany, where Berlin’s strong support for Israel has been criticized as pro-Palestinian voices have been marginalized.
