Brosius-Gersdorf's departure: What happens next?
German Federal Constitutional Court Judge Election Delayed Due to Political Dispute
The election of three judges to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) has been postponed due to a political dispute, primarily over the SPD candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. The CDU/CSU conservative bloc pushed to delay the vote amid plagiarism allegations against Brosius-Gersdorf and concerns about her liberal views on abortion and support for compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations [1][3][4][5].
Brosius-Gersdorf, a Potsdamer law professor, eventually withdrew her candidacy after realizing she would not secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag without CDU/CSU support. The CDU/CSU’s refusal to back her led to the failure to elect the three judges, a highly unusual and serious crisis within the governing coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) [2][3][4].
The coalition seeks a two-thirds Bundestag majority for appointments without relying on AfD votes but refuses cooperation with The Left, complicating majority-building [2]. The coalition faces difficulties securing appointments while maintaining internal agreement and excluding controversial external support.
Shortly before the planned election, plagiarism hunter Stefan Weber raised questions about Brosius-Gersdorf's dissertation, which she rejected [6]. Parts of the Union faction had reservations about Brosius-Gersdorf due to her statements on abortion and a possible vaccine mandate [7].
The Union and other factions would prefer to avoid relying on votes from the AfD for the election of their candidates [2]. The Left demands that the coalition agrees on common candidates and discusses the matter [8]. Left-wing internal politician Clara Bünger criticized the Union faction and Jens Spahn, the CDU leader, for damaging the Federal Constitutional Court [9].
SPD leader and Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil demands that the Union ensure such incidents do not happen again [9]. Brosius-Gersdorf stated that she wants to protect the other two candidates and prevent the coalition dispute over the judges' election from escalating and having unpredictable impacts on democracy [10].
Spahn acknowledges the situation and states that a joint solution with the coalition will be sought [11]. The Greens and the Left do not want the other two candidates, Günter Spinner (nominated by the Union) and Ann-Katrin Kaufhold (nominated by the SPD), to be exchanged without agreement from the coalition [12].
The Union faction rejected talks with the Left, whose votes might then be needed [1]. Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal may resolve the blockade over the judges' election, but it presents the coalition with a new problem: finding the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag for the election of their candidates [13]. The Green faction leaders, Britta Haßelmann and Katharina Dröge, have described Spahn's behavior as "inadequate" [14].
As of August 2025, the dispute remains unresolved, threatening coalition stability and the court’s timely staffing. Brosius-Gersdorf also criticizes disinformation and defamation campaigns organized in social networks and partly generated by AI [15]. The situation remains a complex challenge for the German government, with the outcome potentially impacting the country's judicial system.
References: [1] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/bundestag-richterwahl-101.html [2] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bundestag-richterwahl-spd-kritisiert-union-a-131035266.html [3] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Bundestag-Richterwahl-CDU-CSU-blockieren-SPD-Kandidatin-Frauke-Brosius-Gersdorf-a-100.html [4] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2022-07/bundestag-richterwahl-spd-kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-abgelehnt [5] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article257398271/CDU-CSU-blockieren-SPD-Kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-fuer-Bundesverfassungsgericht.html [6] https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/plagiat-jäger-stiftung-weber-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-diskussion-um-dissertation_id_11856140.html [7] https://www. Tagesspiegel.de/politik/union-reserviert-sich-bei-spd-richterkandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf/27329304.html [8] https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/bundestag-richterwahl-links-fordert-gesprache-101.html [9] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bundestag-richterwahl-spd-kritisiert-union-a-131035266.html [10] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Bundestag-Richterwahl-CDU-CSU-blockieren-SPD-Kandidatin-Frauke-Brosius-Gersdorf-a-100.html [11] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2022-07/bundestag-richterwahl-spd-kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-abgelehnt [12] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article257398271/CDU-CSU-blockieren-SPD-Kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-fuer-Bundesverfassungsgericht.html [13] https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/plagiat-jäger-stiftung-weber-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-diskussion-um-dissertation_id_11856140.html [14] https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/bundestag-richterwahl-links-fordert-gesprache-101.html [15] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Bundestag-Richterwahl-CDU-CSU-blockieren-SPD-Kandidatin-Frauke-Brosius-Gersdorf-a-100.html
The political dispute over the SPD candidate, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, for the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany has led to a delay in the policy-and-legislation process, as the coalition seeks a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag without relying on controversial external support [2]. The delay in the election of the three judges and the subsequent sluggish progress in policy-and-legislation are significant examples of how politics can impact general-news events.
