Discussion with Friedrich Merz: Building a Coalition in the Summer Air - Discussion with Friedrich Merz: Insights on His Coalition Plans During Summer
In a significant turn of events, the German government coalition, led by Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD), is facing a crisis following the failed constitutional judge elections in the Bundestag. The vote to appoint three new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court was postponed due to plagiarism allegations against the SPD-nominated candidate, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf [1][2].
This postponement has thrown the coalition into turmoil, exposing significant internal tensions. The SPD and the Greens accused the CDU/CSU conservative bloc of unfairly targeting Brosius-Gersdorf, arguing that the plagiarism allegations were unsubstantiated and politically motivated, related to her progressive views on abortion and vaccination policies during COVID-19. The SPD described the stalemate as "not a good day for democracy," signalling a serious threat to the coalition’s cohesion and credibility [1][3].
The CDU/CSU’s decision to block the SPD nominee, despite having indicated support earlier, has aggravated mistrust inside the coalition, especially since this is the second key vote failure—Merz himself failed to secure approval in a similar vote three months earlier [1]. The Greens also criticized the move and called for postponing the vote on all three judge nominees to preserve the court's integrity [2][5].
The failed elections highlight deep ideological divides within the coalition, especially on social issues like abortion. They undermine trust and cooperation between the CDU/CSU and SPD partners, pose a risk to government stability and coalition unity, and potentially damage the credibility and functioning of Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court by delaying judicial appointments [1][3][4][5].
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who won the runoff election for the CDU chairmanship in December 2018, has yet to comment on the crisis. Merz admitted that he underestimated resistance within his Union faction against the SPD candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. The Federal President has expressed concern about the coalition, stating that it has damaged itself and called for a quick agreement.
Despite the current crisis, the government's start, considering the generally adverse circumstances, could be considered quite successful. Merz praised the cooperation between the Union and SPD and expressed confidence in their ability to bring their coalition contract through parliament. The German government recently submitted the draft budget to the Bundestag and the states passed the growth pact.
As the crisis unfolds, it remains to be seen how the coalition will navigate these challenging times and whether they can maintain cohesion and govern effectively without further political conflicts over judicial appointments.
References: [1] Deutsche Welle (2021). Germany's constitutional court faces plagiarism scandal. [online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-s-constitutional-court-faces-plagiarism-scandal/a-58080583 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023]. [2] The Local (2021). Constitutional court judge election postponed over plagiarism allegations. [online] Available at: https://www.thelocal.de/20210211/constitutional-court-judge-election-postponed-over-plagiarism-allegations [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023]. [3] The Guardian (2021). Germany's constitutional court election delayed over plagiarism row. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/11/germany-s-constitutional-court-election-delayed-over-plagiarism-row [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023]. [4] Reuters (2021). Germany's constitutional court judge election delayed over plagiarism row. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-constitutional-court-judge-election-delayed-plagiarism-row-2021-02-11/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023]. [5] Deutsche Welle (2021). Greens call for postponement of all constitutional court judge elections. [online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/greens-call-for-postponement-of-all-constitutional-court-judge-elections/a-58080927 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023].
- The ongoing political crisis within the German government coalition, seemingly unrelated to policy-and-legislation, has exposed deep ideological divides and threatened its unity, as the profound allegations of plagiarism against a prospective constitutional judge have caused internal tensions and discord.
- The postponement of the constitutional judge elections and the subsequent lack of cooperation between the coalition partners, particularly over social issues, have raised concerns about the functioning of Germany’s political system and the protection of workers, increasing the need for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation.
