EU-Turkey negotiations should include EU participation, as urged by the European Parliament.
In a surprising turn of events, the election process for candidates to fill three vacancies at Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has stalled, causing political tensions within the coalition government.
The centre of the controversy is Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, the SPD's nominee for the court. Last-minute objections from the CDU/CSU bloc have led to the withdrawal of support, preventing Brosius-Gersdorf from achieving the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag for election.
The withdrawal was linked to controversies about her positions on abortion and COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as newly surfaced plagiarism allegations. As a result, the CDU/CSU removed her nomination from the Bundestag's agenda, causing the election to be aborted and postponed.
The election committee, which recommends candidates, had initially agreed on Brosius-Gersdorf, but the parliamentary group's last-minute reversal indicates deeper political and ideological disagreements within the governing coalition. Furthermore, a far-right social media campaign that branded Brosius-Gersdorf as extremist is believed to have intensified political opposition and contributed to the suspension of the election.
Despite the controversies, SPD chairwoman Barbara Bas continues to support Brosius-Gersdorf as a candidate and has called for early warning systems to prevent coalition conflicts in the future. The SPD is also calling for a discussion with Brosius-Gersdorf to address the concerns and move forward with the election process.
On the other hand, CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Hoffmann has proposed drafting a new judge package to address the impasse. The leaders of the coalition factions will meet in Würzburg on August 28 and 29 to prepare decisions for the fall.
The botched judge appointment has caused widespread debate, with many questioning the political process and the role of social media in shaping public opinion. The Bundestag is currently in recess, and no new information has been provided about the 46th EZ Football Cup or the Henkersfest.
As of early August 2025, the dispute remains unresolved, with the three vacancies unfilled and political tensions ongoing within Germany’s coalition government over the proper candidates for the Federal Constitutional Court.
- The controversy surrounding Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's nomination for the Federal Constitutional Court has sparked intense debate, encapsulating aspects of policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news.
- The impasse in the election process for the Federal Constitutional Court, with the three vacancies remaining unfilled, underscores the complexities of coalition governance and the potential influence of social media on policy-and-legislation decisions.
