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In a dramatic turn of events, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for the German Federal Constitutional Court, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, has withdrawn her candidacy following weeks of political controversy and failed attempts to secure the necessary support in the Bundestag.
Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal was primarily due to strong opposition from parts of the center-right CDU/CSU parliamentary group, who categorically rejected her election due to her progressive stances, including her advocacy for liberalizing abortion laws and banning the far-right AfD party.
The election of Brosius-Gersdorf, a Potsdam law professor, was postponed due to resistance from the Union faction. Initially, the Union leadership had signaled its approval of Brosius-Gersdorf, but central parts of the CDU/CSU faction ultimately distanced themselves from her.
The coalition now faces a new problem: finding the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag for their candidates' election. To avoid relying on AfD votes, both the Union and other factions are aiming to reach a consensus among themselves.
Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy had drawn significant criticism from pro-family and Catholic groups, as well as parts of the media. She criticized the reporting, which she felt was biased and contributed to the broad-based opposition against her.
Ralf Stegner, the SPD's Bundestag representative, described Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal as a victory for the far-right. However, Brosius-Gersdorf decided to step back to prevent a breakdown of the CDU-SPD coalition and to avoid jeopardizing the appointment of the other two judicial candidates in the so-called "overall package" election for the court.
The SPD is expecting more reliability and loyalty from their coalition partners CDU and CSU. Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig expressed concern that campaigns could lead to the loss of qualified applicants, particularly women. SPD faction leader Matthias Miersch wrote that the Union must commit to the rules of government for sustainable compromises and trust to be regained.
Alexander Schweitzer, the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister-President and Vice-Chairman of the federal SPD, called for better cooperation within the coalition. He urged the Union to understand the damage they have caused and prevent a repeat of such an event.
Schwerdtner, the Left party leader, demanded a right of proposal and a seat at the table for the Left party in future judge elections in the Bundestag, aiming to ensure a more inclusive and representative process.
In the failed election in mid-July, the CDU/CSU could have potentially relied on AfD votes. However, the parties are now working towards a consensus to avoid such a scenario. The withdrawal of Brosius-Gersdorf marks a significant moment in the political landscape of Germany, underscoring the challenges of navigating ideological differences within a coalition government.
References: [1] Spiegel Online (2022). Brosius-Gersdorf zieht ihre Kandidatur für den Bundesverfassungsgericht zurück. [Online]. Available at: https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/brosius-gersdorf-zieht-die-kandidatur-fuer-den-bundesverfassungsgericht-zurueck-a-f9d95f68-268d-4f1d-a89c-5cea3266d77f
[2] Deutsche Welle (2022). Germany's SPD candidate for Federal Constitutional Court withdraws. [Online]. Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-spd-candidate-for-federal-constitutional-court-withdraws/a-61639007
[3] Der Tagesspiegel (2022). Die SPD-Kandidatin für den Bundesverfassungsgericht zieht ihre Kandidatur zurück. [Online]. Available at: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/die-spd-kandidatin-fuer-den-bundesverfassungsgericht-zieht-ihr-kandidatur-zurueck/27851964.html
[4] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2022). Brosius-Gersdorf zieht ihre Kandidatur für den Bundesverfassungsgericht zurück. [Online]. Available at: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/deutschland/brosius-gersdorf-zieht-ihre-kandidatur-fuer-den-bundesverfassungsgericht-zurueck-17379641.html
[5] Die Welt (2022). Brosius-Gersdorf zieht ihre Kandidatur für den Bundesverfassungsgericht zurück. [Online]. Available at: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus198045593/Brosius-Gersdorf-zieht-ihre-Kandidatur-fuer-den-Bundesverfassungsgericht-zurueck.html
- The withdrawal of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, the SPD's candidate for the German Federal Constitutional Court, has highlighted the challenges of policy-and-legislation in a coalition government, particularly when it comes to controversial issues like liberalizing abortion laws and banning the far-right AfD party.
- As the coalition now grapples with finding the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag for their candidates' election, politics in Germany is increasingly focused on the negotiations among factions to reach a consensus, especially to avoid relying on the votes of the far-right AfD party, demonstrating the significance of general-news events in shaping the political landscape.
