Judge Appointment Process Proposal by Woidke Advocated
The ongoing impasse in the appointment of judges to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has caused a political crisis within Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition, with deep disagreements particularly within the conservative faction. This deadlock, marked by plagiarism allegations and abortion debates, has intensified tensions and delayed appointments to the court [1][3].
Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has proposed a fresh start to resolve this issue. Woidke expressed concern over the way a qualified candidate has been discredited by some parts of the CDU/CSU, and believes it is necessary for the factions in the Bundestag to quickly find a way out of this situation and present a solution [2].
Woidke's proposal involves a complete restart of the procedure for filling the vacancies at the Federal Constitutional Court. He suggests that all candidates should withdraw and for the factions in the German Bundestag to start anew. Woidke specifically mentioned the need for early involvement of the Left party and the Greens, as they are necessary for a two-thirds majority [4].
The Union, on the other hand, has nominated Federal Labor Court Judge Günter Spinner. However, there are reservations within the Union about Brosius-Gersdorf, particularly regarding her perceived liberal stance on abortion and her positive stance on mandatory vaccination during the COVID-19 crisis [6].
The removal of the election of three judges for the Federal Constitutional Court from the Bundestag's agenda on July 11 was due to resistance within the Union faction against the SPD's nominated candidate, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. The Union faction could no longer guarantee their support for Brosius-Gersdorf, despite previous assurances [5].
In a surprising move, the SPD has proposed an alternative candidate, Ann-Katrin Kaufhold, as a constitutional law expert [1]. The proposal is due to the deadlock in the dispute over the appointments [7].
As the situation stands, the deadlock is being addressed through political calls for compromise and reform, primarily from the SPD. However, the gridlock persists amid coalition conflicts and ideological disputes, preventing timely appointments to the Federal Constitutional Court [1][3].
[1] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/bund-verfassungsrichter-101.html [2] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus198583789/Dietmar-Woidke-fordert-Neustart-bei-Verfassungsrichter-Nominierungen.html [3] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bundesverfassungsgericht-verfassungsrichter-wahl-verschoben-a-6b41f534-d74a-4a5c-a966-75a099c1f82c [4] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2022-07/verfassungsrichterwahl-koalition-dietmar-woidke-neustart [5] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Bundestag-verfassungsrichterwahl-verschoben-article24703971.html [6] https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/bundesverfassungsgericht-koalition-streit-ueber-verfassungsrichter-wahl-verschoben_id_12867863.html [7] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/spd-kandidat-fuer-verfassungsrichter-ann-katrin-kaufhold/27990674.html
The political crisis within Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition, surrounding the appointment of judges to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, has led to the discussion of policy-and-legislation, especially in relation to the general-news topics of abortion and vaccination mandates. In an attempt to resolve this stalemate, Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has proposed a fresh start, involving a complete restart of the procedure for filling the vacancies at the Federal Constitutional Court, and advocating for early involvement of the Left party and the Greens to secure a two-thirds majority.
