EU rejects SPD's plan for Karlsruhe
In a political powder keg for the black-red coalition (CDU/CSU and SPD), a dispute over the election of new judges to Germany’s highest court, the Federal Constitutional Court, has erupted. The focus of the controversy is the SPD’s nomination of legal professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, with CDU politicians expressing public discreditation towards her candidacy.
The election of 16 judges of the Federal Constitutional Court is usually half by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat. However, this time, the votes of not only the Union and SPD, but also those of the Greens and Left, are needed, as the coalition does not want to rely on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) for confirmation.
The dispute stems from complex negotiations over key appointments, including judges to the Federal Constitutional Court, as outlined in coalition agreements. These appointments are politically sensitive because constitutional judges hold significant power in interpreting the German Basic Law and can influence major legal and political outcomes.
The SPD’s choice of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf may have sparked controversy within the coalition if the CDU/CSU perceives her nomination as politically or ideologically problematic, or if there is a struggle over the balance of influence in the court. The Union has nominated Federal Labor Court Judge Günter Spinner as an alternative candidate for one of the three positions expected to be filled.
The judicial selection committee will meet for the election next week, as per Heidi Reichinnek's statement, the faction leader of the Left. However, the CDU has been vocal in their opposition to Brosius-Gersdorf's nomination. An unnamed CDU parliamentarian has stated that electing an "ultra-left jurist" to the Constitutional Court is unacceptable, while another MP from the legal committee has expressed that Brosius-Gersdorf's personality is "never electable" for them.
CDU Bundestag member Saskia Ludwig has also criticized Brosius-Gersdorf due to her statements on corona vaccinations. Brosius-Gersdorf's stance on abortions is also controversial. The Left, however, has criticized the Union's resistance to the SPD nominee as "unworthy mudslinging".
The succession of constitutional judge Josef Christ is a priority. Günter Spinner is a candidate for the position currently held by Christ. The vote in the plenary is scheduled for next week, as per Reichinnek's statement. The election of new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court promises to be a pivotal moment in German politics, reflecting the broader coalition frictions concerning control over constitutional appointments, ideological clashes, and political strategy within the black-red coalition.
- The election of new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court, a politically sensitive process outlined in coalition agreements, has become a contentious issue between the CDU/CSU and SPD, involving the nomination of legal professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf by the SPD.
- The Union's opposition to Brosius-Gersdorf's nomination, expressed by CDU parliamentarians as unacceptable for electing an "ultra-left jurist" to the Constitutional Court, and criticism from Saskia Ludwig due to her stance on corona vaccinations and abortions, have sparked debates about policy-and-legislation and general-news in the black-red coalition.
