Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal fails to address lingering issues
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has been grappling with the repercussions of the withdrawal of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy for the Federal Constitutional Court. The incident has exposed deep-seated issues within the party and highlighted the need for strategic changes in dealing with the AfD and radical right-wing campaigns.
The dispute over Brosius-Gersdorf’s candidacy exposed deep divisions within the CDU/CSU faction, where a segment vehemently opposed her progressive stances, especially on abortion and her advocacy for banning the AfD. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and parliamentary leader Jens Spahn attempted to persuade their faction to support her, but resistance remained strong.
Earlier and more effective internal coalition negotiation aiming at building a broad consensus within CDU ranks could have prevented the public fracture and the eventual withdrawal. A strategic decision to endorse or propose less controversial, more centrist or moderately conservative candidates could have reduced the internal backlash and undermined the radical right’s leverage.
The CDU, with its traditional ties to Christian and pro-family voters, could have engaged these groups early on to factor their concerns into candidate selection and messaging, stressing democratic values without alienating its base. The candidacy faced significant opposition from Catholic institutions and pro-life organizations.
The radical right (AfD) leveraged the controversy to paint Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal as a “victory against the left” and promoted distrust in the democratic process. CDU could have strengthened public communication strategies to clearly delineate its positions—support for democratic institutions and rule of law—while disavowing extremism without adopting overly polarizing stances that risked empowering the AfD’s narrative.
Given the two-thirds majority needed to elect Federal Constitutional Court justices—requiring broad cross-party support—CDU was compelled to negotiate. A more pragmatic approach focused on compromise candidates might have preserved coalition stability and undermined AfD’s campaign to capitalize on polarization.
The withdrawal of Brosius-Gersdorf may cause relief in the SPD, but they must nominate a woman with clear positions, including on the topic of abortion, to ensure a clear stop signal. The state of the federal government resembles that of the traffic light coalition before its breakdown. The German cabinet is going on summer break, scheduled to end in August.
There is always the concern that the CDU could make common cause with the AfD, which is not a good basis for another three and a half years in the coalition. Effective strategies for the CDU moving forward would involve building intra-coalition consensus, avoiding provocative candidates, engaging core conservative and religious constituencies, managing public narrative, and employing political pragmatism to prevent radical right-wing successes.
Policy and legislation discussions within the CDU should prioritize resolving deep-seated issues, particularly in relation to the AfD and radical right-wing campaigns, to prevent future internal fractures. General news coverage could emphasize the party's commitment to democratic values, rule of law, and expressive political pragmatism, ensuring their popular conservative and religious constituencies are not alienated nor empowering the AfD's divisive narrative.
