Following Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal, what are the subsequent developments?
Federal Constitutional Court Election Stalemate: Coalition Partners Seek Consensus Amidst Withdrawal of SPD Candidate
The withdrawal of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as the SPD's candidate for the Federal Constitutional Court has left the German Bundestag in a challenging position, as achieving the required two-thirds majority to elect new justices now seems uncertain.
Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal was primarily due to strong opposition within the CDU/CSU faction, which refused to support her candidacy. This opposition threatened the CDU-SPD coalition's stability and the overall package for judicial appointments.
The CDU parliamentary leadership, including Jens Spahn and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, attempted to persuade their members to back Brosius-Gersdorf, but encountered strong internal resistance, largely due to her liberal stances on abortion reform and positions on banning the far-right AfD.
Negotiations are now focused on finding a replacement candidate acceptable to both coalition partners, especially the CDU/CSU, to avoid further delays and coalition tensions. Potential solutions discussed in political circles revolve around nominating consensus candidates, compromise nominations, and reinforcing coalition agreements.
The Bundestag elects Federal Constitutional Court justices through a two-thirds majority vote, and candidates are nominated by a parliamentary judicial selection committee, itself requiring a two-thirds majority. The failure to elect three justices before the summer recess marked the most serious crisis in the coalition to date, signaling increased politicization of the court appointments and weakening government cooperation.
Lars Klingbeil, SPD leader and Vice-Chancellor, demanded that the Union avoid similar incidents in the future. Brosius-Gersdorf, in a statement distributed via her law firm, expressed bitterness over the situation. She withdrew to protect the other two candidates and prevent the coalition dispute over the judges' election from escalating.
The Greens and the Left also want the coalition to agree on common candidates and discuss it. However, the Union faction rejected talks with the Left, whose votes could be necessary. The withdrawal of Brosius-Gersdorf may dissolve the blockade around the judges' election, but it also presents the coalition with a new problem: finding the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag for the election of their candidates.
References: [1] Tagesspiegel (2023). Bundesverfassungsrichterwahl: SPD-Kandidatin Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf zieht zurück. [online] Available at: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/bundesverfassungsrichterwahl-spd-kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-zieht-zurueck/28252424.html
[2] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2023). Bundesverfassungsrichterwahl: SPD-Kandidatin Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf zieht zurück. [online] Available at: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/bundesverfassungsgericht/bundesverfassungsrichterwahl-spd-kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-zieht-zurueck-17894707.html
[3] Die Welt (2023). Bundesverfassungsrichterwahl: SPD-Kandidatin Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf zieht zurück. [online] Available at: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article210481059/Bundesverfassungsrichterwahl-SPD-Kandidatin-Frauke-Brosius-Gersdorf-zieht-zurueck.html
[4] Der Spiegel (2023). Bundesverfassungsrichterwahl: SPD-Kandidatin Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf zieht zurück. [online] Available at: https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bundesverfassungsrichterwahl-spd-kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-zieht-zurueck-a-64296898.html
[5] Süddeutsche Zeitung (2023). Bundesverfassungsrichterwahl: SPD-Kandidatin Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf zieht zurück. [online] Available at: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundesverfassungsrichterwahl-spd-kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-zieht-zurueck-1.5950362
What is the new challenge for the German Bundestag amidst the withdrawal of SPD's candidate for the Federal Constitutional Court? Finding a replacement candidate acceptable to both coalition partners that can secure the necessary two-thirds majority, avoiding further delays and coalition tensions, is now the focus of negotiations.
In the discussions to resolve the stalemate, potential solutions discuss reinforcing coalition agreements, nominating consensus candidates, or compromise nominations to expedite the Federal Constitutional Court election process engulfed by policy-and-legislation and politics, influencing general-news.
