Proposal for a Worker Radiation Protections Directive sought by the Commission due to risks associated with ionizing radiation exposure.
In the political landscape of Germany, two prominent figures, Saskia Ludwig from the CDU party and Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, an SPD constitutional judge candidate, have found themselves at the centre of a plagiarism controversy.
Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy for the German Federal Constitutional Court took an unexpected turn in early August 2025, when she withdrew amidst allegations of plagiarism concerning her doctoral thesis. The claims, made by plagiarism expert Stefan Weber, suggested that 86 pages of her thesis were written by her husband, a charge Brosius-Gersdorf denies and has responded to with a libel lawsuit[3][4][5].
The plagiarism controversy emerged shortly before a planned Bundestag vote on her appointment, leading the conservative CDU/CSU bloc to postpone the vote. The CDU/CSU also expressed reservations about her progressive political stances on abortion and support for compulsory COVID-19 vaccination, contributing to the opposition against her nomination[2][5].
Despite the allegations and initial political pressure, Brosius-Gersdorf initially received support from some quarters. However, the increasing political pressure and potential harm to the Constitutional Court’s reputation led her to withdraw to avoid a governmental crisis and damage to the court’s functionality[3][5].
Meanwhile, Saskia Ludwig, a CDU MP, has not been accused of plagiarism. Instead, she has been active in reacting to the case against Brosius-Gersdorf, even going as far as demanding that Brosius-Gersdorf suspend her teaching position at the University of Potsdam amid the plagiarism allegations[1].
Interestingly, the University of Potsdam has a preliminary suspicion of plagiarism in Ludwig's own doctoral thesis[6]. However, further investigation and public reports on this matter are yet to be made available.
In a separate development, Ludwig found herself embroiled in controversy when she participated in a festival organised by a right-wing think tank in Hungary[7]. The Union faction's spokesperson stated that Ludwig's participation was not on behalf of the faction and was done without the knowledge of the faction leadership.
Ralf Stegner, an SPD politician, has criticised the Union's faction and party leadership due to Ludwig's actions, stating that he does not think they can simply tolerate her actions[8]. Stegner himself had previously faced criticism for a trip to Baku, Azerbaijan, for talks with Russian representatives[9].
This is the current status as of August 2025. The plagiarism allegations against both Brosius-Gersdorf and Ludwig continue to be investigated and debated, adding another layer of intrigue to German politics.
The ongoing plagiarism allegations against both Saskia Ludwig and Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf have become a significant point in German policy-and-legislation, raising questions about the general-news and crime-and-justice aspects of the political landscape. The controversy surrounding Brosius-Gersdorf's doctoral thesis has led to her withdrawal from the German Federal Constitutional Court candidacy, while Ludwig is under scrutiny for potential plagiarism in her own doctoral thesis. Meanwhile, Ludwig's political actions have sparked debates within the SPD party, with Ralf Stegner expressing criticism towards the Union faction and party leadership.
