Faction pursues resolution for the contention regarding the selection of a judicial officeholder - Group pursuing resolution to judge-involved election disagreement
The last session week of the German Bundestag before the summer break was marked by a significant dispute, with the elections of three new judges for Karlsruhe causing a stir. At the heart of the controversy is the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, the SPD's candidate for the Federal Constitutional Court.
Brosius-Gersdorf's nomination has been met with objections from the conservative side, primarily due to her liberal views on abortion, support for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, and allegations of plagiarism.
Conservative politicians and Bavarian bishops have criticised Brosius-Gersdorf's stance that the constitutional guarantee of human dignity applies from birth, not to embryos or fetuses, suggesting that abortion within the first twelve weeks could be constitutionally permissible. They view this as a relativisation of human dignity protections, which they consider disqualifying for a constitutional judge.
Similarly, Brosius-Gersdorf's backing of compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations during the pandemic has been viewed as part of her progressive profile that conflicts with conservative values.
The plagiarism allegations against Brosius-Gersdorf, which emerged shortly before the parliamentary vote, have further fuelled the conservatives' resistance and complicated her confirmation. These issues have led to threats to abstain from the vote and block the required two-thirds majority for her nomination.
The Union faction leadership is calling for patience in the dispute, while the SPD's faction leader, Matthias Miersch, has called for quick face-to-face discussions. The CDU/CSU's MP Tilman Kuban expressed skepticism about the Union changing its mind regarding the SPD candidate, while Thomas Bareiß, a CDU member of the German Bundestag, wished for more restraint from the party and faction leadership in the plagiarism accusation case.
The Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) is still in dispute due to the vacancies, with the Tagesspiegel reporting on the events. The elections were temporarily removed from the agenda because of the pressure against Brosius-Gersdorf in the Union. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the cooperation in the coalition is good despite the judge election fiasco.
Notably, Peter Müller, former CDU minister-president of Saarland and constitutional judge, criticised the Union for the failed judicial appointment, calling it a leadership failure. Brosius-Gersdorf has not yet commented on the plagiarism accusations.
The University of Hamburg does not consider the plagiarism accusations sufficient to initiate an investigation. Günter Spinner, a federal labor court judge from the Union, and Ann-Katrin Kaufhold, a Munich law professor from the SPD, were nominated for the Bundestag vote on Friday.
The coalition dispute centres around vacancies at the Federal Constitutional Court, with the outcome of the debate expected to have significant implications for Germany's legal landscape.
[1] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/spd-kandidatin-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-hat-streitigkeiten-mit-union-a-7d94d2e3-66f5-4e8c-a411-6ebe72c64204 [2] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus174494142/Bundestag-Wahl-von-Brosius-Gersdorf-verzögert-SPD-und-Union-streiten-um-Kandidatin-fuer-Bundesverfassungsgericht.html [3] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/bundestag-wahl-von-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-verzogert-spd-und-union-streiten-um-kandidatin-fuer-bundesverfassungsgericht/27396828.html [4] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Bundestag-wahl-von-Frauke-Brosius-Gersdorf-verzogert-SPD-und-Union-streiten-um-Kandidatin-fuer-Bundesverfassungsgericht-article24003702.html [5] https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundestag-wahl-von-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-verzogert-spd-und-union-streiten-um-kandidatin-fuer-bundesverfassungsgericht-1.5878578
The ongoing dispute in the German Bundestag over the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf for the Federal Constitutional Court has sparked intense debate, shedding light on the intersection of policy-and-legislation, politics, and general news. Despite objections from conservative politicians due to her liberal views on abortion, support for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, and allegations of plagiarism, Brosius-Gersdorf's nomination has brought manufacturing issues, such as the strategic role of the steel industry in Germany's economy, into the limelight. The steel industry has been a significant focus in this session, with numerous mentions in various discussions, underscoring its importance in Germany's manufacturing sector.
