The Bundestag discussed violence against women, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz attributing a notable portion of violence to immigrants and describing it as explosive in both online and real spaces.

Merz signaled forthcoming legal changes, including a bill to store IP addresses to identify and sanction individuals posting prohibited content, with cabinet approval anticipated possibly in April.

Green MP Robin Wagener challenged Merz, accusing the government of lacking empathy and decisive action on online sexualized violence.

Merz asserted that the remark about immigrants was necessary for a complete picture and rejected any suggestion of relativizing the problem, noting that many men also engage in the discussion.

Parliamentary President Julia Klöckner reminded participants that parliamentary discourse requires listening and orderly Q&A.

During the government’s interrogation, digital violence was also on the table; Merz defended his engagement and addressed criticisms of not speaking on the issue.

Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig pushed for legislation to close criminal gaps in creating and distributing pornographic deepfakes, including criminalizing non-consensual fake porn; Merz gave limited comment.

Merz announced planned cuts to left-leaning democracy-support projects and redirected funding toward organizations defending democracy, while indicating reductions for groups aligned with the left.

The debate highlighted tensions on how to tackle digital violence, weighing causation, policy measures, and the balance between acknowledging migrant involvement and avoiding stigmatization.

The cabinet had already approved electronic ankle monitors and there were plans to store IP addresses to aid digital-era law enforcement.

The discussion referenced a recent case where an actress accused her ex-husband of sending fake explicit images, fueling demonstrations against digital violence.

Contextual discussion referenced prior legal proposals and events related to violence against women in Germany, including historical efforts.