The German parliament moved closer to banning the public burning of flags of foreign nation states on Wednesday.

Representatives of the ruling coalition have drafted a bill that would impose a fine or prison sentence on those who burn flags or national symbols of foreign countries, as well as of the European Union.

Burning the German flag publicly is already illegal in Germany, but the law is murky when it comes to burning the flag of any foreign nation or of the EU. Each case of flag-burning is currently dealt with on an individual basis, usually in terms of whether it can constitute a hate crime.

"We will not allow these symbolic acts of hatred and contempt to continue," said junior Justice Minister Christian Lange of the center-left Social Democratic Party, the coalition partner of Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union.

Read more: How Jewish artists in Berlin experience anti-Semitism

The CDU justice committee spokesman, Jan-Marco Luczak, agreed, saying that the act of flag-burning "should not be allowed in civilized countries." Both parties signaled their support for the bill.

The idea for the bill dates back to 2017, when Israeli flags were burned at a protest in Berlin.

"Something like that should not be allowed to happen in Germany," said Felix Klein, the parliamentary representative for tackling anti-Semitism.

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Will the new bill become law?

A bill had previously been introduced to parliament concerning the burning of just the EU flag, but Wednesday's debate concerned a new bill that would expand fines and prison sentences to those burning the flags of any foreign country.

The ruling coalition has not yet set out a time frame for the bill, which will need to be voted on by parliament.

Although the bill will most likely pass with CDU and SPD support, opposition parties expressed skepticism.

Read more: Opinion: Freedom of speech under attack in Germany? Hardly.

Opposition from the opposition

The Left party and the Greens both declined to support the bill, saying that it was not up to the government to regulate flag-burning. The business-friendly Free Democratic Party also warned against an expansion of government control regarding this issue.

The far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, the third-largest party in the German parliament, also refused to support the bill.

"The EU is not a state," said representative Bernd Baumann. "Therefore their symbol should not have the same rules attached to it."

The burning of foreign flags has become increasingly common in Germany, often at protests and rallies.

How many of these flags can you identify? A Jamaican Germany? Germans spent weeks talking about Jamaica – but most weren't referring to the Caribbean island nation. The flag's colors also represent the coalition Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (black) hoped to form with the Free Democrats (yellow) and the Greens; that didn't work out. The next flag might be a bit trickier to identify...

How many of these flags can you identify? Red field, yellow dots What does this flag represent: the soccer club Bayern Munich; the self-proclaimed autonomous district of Christiania; or the South Asian Kingdom of Bhutan?

How many of these flags can you identify? Christiania This flag was designed by the inhabitants of the district of Christiania in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. In 1971, they occupied a former barracks and created an autonomous settlement. It's unclear what the symbols on the flag represent: freedom, equality and fraternity, or maybe just the three dots on the letter 'i' in the name?

How many of these flags can you identify? Fern leaf, four stars Where does this flag come from? Does it represent New Zealand or the Marshall Islands – or maybe somewhere else?

How many of these flags can you identify? New Zealand (in an alternate future) This flag was actually only a proposal for a new national banner for New Zealand, one of six voted on in 2015 and 2016. Some citizens have advocated for the removal of any traces of the former colonial power, Britain – even from the flag. But in the second referendum, 56.6 percent of New Zealanders rejected the fern and decided to keep the Union Jack in the flag's upper left quarter.

How many of these flags can you identify? Black, red, gold Which country is represented by this national flag: Germany, Belgium or Angola?

How many of these flags can you identify? Germany That one should have been easy for DW readers. The colors of the German federal flag are defined in the country's Basic Law. Although officially designated black, red and gold, a yellow tone is often used in practice. The colors were inspired by the uniforms of the German soldiers in the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 19th century.

How many of these flags can you identify? Once again: Black, red, gold True, these are the colors of the German flag. But this time, another country had adopted the same color scheme. Which country is represented by this banner: Uganda, East Timor or Zimbabwe?

How many of these flags can you identify? Uganda This flag belongs to the African nation of Uganda. Here, black symbolizes the people of Africa, yellow stands for the sun and red represents brotherhood. These are also the colors of the party that led the country to independence from British colonial rule. In the center of the flag struts the black crowned crane, Uganda's most important national symbol.

How many of these flags can you identify? Orange, white and green Can you name this flag's country? Is it the Ivory Coast, Ireland or India?

How many of these flags can you identify? India The flags of the Ivory Coast, Ireland and India all share the same three colors: orange, white and green. But this is India's national flag. The orange, or in this case saffron yellow, stands for courage, white represents peace and truth, and green stands for loyalty and chivalry. The charge in the middle of the flag is a wheel, symbolizing the teachings of Buddha.

How many of these flags can you identify? Many colors, one star Do you recognize this flag? Is it that of South Africa, South Sudan or Syria?

How many of these flags can you identify? South Sudan The flag flies over the world's youngest country, South Sudan, which declared its independence from Sudan in 2011. Currently, a civil war is raging along ethnic lines in the East African nation. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, and more than 4 million have fled. Despite large oil reserves, South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world.

How many of these flags can you identify? Field of blue, shining sun To which country does this flag belong: the Pacific island state of Palau, Belarus or Kazakhstan?

How many of these flags can you identify? Kazakhstan The Kazakh flag features a flying steppe eagle and a bright yellow sun set in a field of sky blue, with typical Kazakh ornamentation. The banner was introduced after Kazakhstan broke off from the Soviet Union in 1992. Palau's flag is similar, consisting of a simple yellow circle on a light blue field. However, in that case the circle represents a full moon, and not the sun.

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How many of these flags can you identify? Samoa The Southern Cross, a constellation only visible in the Southern Hemisphere, is featured on the flag of Samoa. The island state is located northeast of former colonial ruler New Zealand, which also features the stars on its flag. Samoa is the birthplace of Albert Wendt, the author and literary professor who has fought for the recognition of culture from the Pacific region.

How many of these flags can you identify? Green, white, red – and a yellow star Is this the flag of Burkina Faso? Maybe it's Ghana, or Suriname? All feature a star, but only one looks like this.

How many of these flags can you identify? Suriname A golden star for a golden future? Suriname is located in South America, between Guyana, French Guiana and Brazil. Once a colony of the Netherlands, the official language is still Dutch. The country has been independent since 1975. Today, Suriname has an estimated population of around half a million people. So, how many flags were you able to correctly identify? Author: Laura Döing (cmk)



dpa contributed to this report

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