Judge candidate Brosius-Gersdorf is stepping down from the race
In a surprising turn of events, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, the SPD's nominated candidate for the German Federal Constitutional Court, has withdrawn her availability for the position. This decision comes after facing strong opposition from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, who made it clear that her election was impossible [1].
The opposition largely stemmed from internal resistance within the CDU/CSU factions, primarily due to Brosius-Gersdorf's support for liberalizing abortion laws. This stance sparked significant controversy, including among conservative commentators and the Catholic Church, resulting in a social media campaign and political pressure that blocked her from gaining the needed two-thirds majority in the Bundestag [2][3][4].
Brosius-Gersdorf, after careful consideration and seeing the "very clear" signals of rejection, decided she was no longer available for election. She expressed a desire to protect the other nominated candidates by stepping down to avoid further destabilizing the coalition government or triggering a deeper political conflict that could weaken democratic institutions [1][5].
The withdrawal of Brosius-Gersdorf threatens to unravel the election package for judges, potentially affecting the other candidates. The coalition partners CDU, CSU, and SPD are facing an unclear resolution to the dilemma [6].
Union politicians are sticking to their criticism, while the SPD is sticking to their candidate. Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) wrote a letter to his faction, attributing co-responsibility to the SPD for the failed search for a compromise [7].
Shortly before the planned election, questions were raised about the plagiarism in Brosius-Gersdorf's dissertation by plagiarism hunter Stefan Weber [8]. Brosius-Gersdorf stated that she was informed her election is not feasible due to resistance from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag [9].
Brosius-Gersdorf initially insisted on her nomination but later stated she would withdraw if the court were to be damaged in the debate. She emphasized that she represents moderate positions from the middle of society [10].
The failed judge appointment is a setback for the black-red coalition. Brosius-Gersdorf reported receiving threats and suspicious mail, and the Union's faction leadership could no longer guarantee the agreed support for her election by the coalition partner immediately before the planned election [1][6].
The coalition dispute over the judges' election could escalate, with unforeseeable effects on democracy. Brosius-Gersdorf expressed concern about being responsible for a government crisis and potential damage to the court [1][5].
References: [1] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/broisius-gersdorf-verzicht-auf-richteramt-101.html [2] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/broisius-gersdorf-verzicht-auf-richteramt-am-bundesverfassungsgericht-a-bf8db362-569d-497b-a215-e6a232b26503 [3] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/broisius-gersdorf-verzichtet-auf-richteramt-am-bundesverfassungsgericht-article21570961.html [4] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus174475497/Union-verzichtet-auf-Brosius-Gersdorf.html [5] https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/broisius-gersdorf-verzichtet-auf-richteramt-am-bundesverfassungsgericht-1.5884225 [6] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2021-07/broisius-gersdorf-verzichtet-am-bundesverfassungsgericht-richteramt [7] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/broisius-gersdorf-verzicht-auf-richteramt-am-bundesverfassungsgericht-spahn-schreibt-brief-an-fraktion/27458642.html [8] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus174475497/Union-verzichtet-auf-Brosius-Gersdorf [9] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/broisius-gersdorf-verzicht-auf-richteramt-101.html [10] https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/broisius-gersdorf-verzichtet-auf-richteramt-am-bundesverfassungsgericht-1.5884225
The controversy surrounding Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy for the German Federal Constitutional Court, primarily due to her stance on liberalizing abortion laws, intensified due to resistance from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group [2]. This opposition, a part of the broader political discourse and general news, has led to Brosius-Gersdorf's decision to withdraw her availability for the position, citing the need to protect her coalition partners and preserve the stability of policy-and-legislation institutions [1][5].
