Workers' risk protection from ionising radiation becomes an EU objective, with the Commission advocating for a new directive.
Germany's Federal Constitutional Court Election in Turmoil: Brosius-Gersdorf Withdraws Amidst Union Faction Resistance
Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for a judge seat on Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, withdrew her candidacy on August 7, 2025, due to strong opposition from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group within the governing coalition.
Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal may create a new challenge for the coalition: finding the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag for their candidate's election. The CDU/CSU could not guarantee the support promised to the SPD partner, and the dispute showed deep ideological divisions between the center-left SPD and the center-right CDU/CSU, raising concerns about the coalition’s ability to cooperate on sensitive judicial appointments without provoking open conflict or destabilizing the government.
Brosius-Gersdorf was a controversial figure due to her progressive stances, including support for late-term abortion rights, backing bans on the far-right AfD party, and advocating for compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations. She was criticized in a right-wing media campaign in Germany, accused of plagiarism, and attacked for being “ultra-left.” Opposition also came from conservative Catholic groups opposing her views on abortion reform. Despite defense by Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU, who called the attacks on her "unacceptable," Brosius-Gersdorf resigned her nomination to prevent a crisis in the coalition and to protect the court’s integrity.
Alexander Schweitzer, the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister President and Vice-Chairman of the Federal SPD, called for better cooperation within the coalition. Ralf Stegner, an SPD Bundestag member, stated that Brosius-Gersdorf’s withdrawal was a victory for the far-right and a sign of the coalition’s powerlessness. The Left's leader, Ines Schwerdtner, criticized the federal government for the events surrounding Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal.
The Union faction rejected talks with the Left, whose votes might be needed to achieve the necessary majority. SPD faction leader Matthias Miersch wrote that the CDU and CSU must commit to the rules of governance for sustainable compromises and trust. The SPD expects more reliability and loyalty from their coalition partners, the CDU and CSU.
Chancellor Merz has expressed confidence that the parties will find a compromise candidate and manage the situation after the summer recess to preserve coalition unity. However, the controversy signals growing polarization and the risk of politicizing judicial appointments in Germany, echoing contentious culture war debates seen elsewhere.
\n\n References:
- Der Spiegel
- Deutsche Welle
- BBC News
- The Local
- Tagesspiegel
- The CDU/CSU parliamentary group's resistance to Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy resulted in a closed legal dispute concerning the necessary two-thirds majority for the coalition's candidate election, highlighting the growing polarization in policy-and-legislation and politics in Germany.
- As a result of Brosius-Gersdorf's withdrawal, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court faces another general-news challenge, amidst concerns about the coalition's ability to cooperate on sensitive judicial appointments and potential destabilization of the government due to ongoing ideological divisions.
