Federal Constitutional Court: Union sees no time pressure in the dispute over judge election

The situation seems to be stuck in the coalition dispute over new constitutional judges. Even three days after the burst judge election in the Bundestag, there is no solution. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) had “very detailed” on the phone on a number of topics, said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius. However, results was not communicated.

On Friday, the elections of two new judges and a judge for Karlsruhe were discontinued by the agenda of the Bundestag. The pressure against the Potsdam constitutional lawyer Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf proposed by the SPD had become too great in the Union. The group management was no longer able to guarantee the support agreed with the coalition partner.

Government sees factions on the train

CDU and CSU see no time pressure on the matter. Kornelius confirmed statements by the Chancellor from the previous day that a solution was not in a hurry. He was confident that “the responsible levels, in this case the political groups, will now take care of this.” The Federal Government is good at “to dramatize something” the matter.

The Parliamentary Managing Director of the Union Group in the Bundestag, Steffen Bilger (CDU), told the dpa that the Federal Constitutional Court was fully able to work. The further procedure will be discussed internally and in the coalition. “We are now taking the time that is necessary. It is certainly not helpful to further heat up the debate.”

It should take at least eight weeks until a new attempt to vote in the Bundestag. According to information from the “Rheinische Post”, the Union rejects a special meeting of the parliament – and the next regular meeting is only in the second week of September due to the summer break.

SPD speaks of loss of trust

The SPD has proposed that the Union Brosius-Gersdorf will meet and listen personally until then. “The constructed defamation in the campaign started by right news portals will then dissolve into air,” said Group Managing Director Dirk Wiese of the “Rheinische Post”.

Wiese Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) accomplished a loss of trust in the “Berlin Playbook ” by “Politico”. “If we receive a promise that judges’ proposals for the Federal Constitutional Court have a majority and then ultimately has to row back Jens Spahn in the end, then it is in a way a loss of trust.”

Söder suggests the candidate’s exchange

CSU boss Markus Söder, on the other hand, sees the SPD on the train. He suggested an exchange of the candidate to the coalition partner. “On the controversial candidacy and there was no blessing,” he said. That is why his advice is: “Not with his head through the wall.” The SPD should “think again and present a second proposal in autumn, which may be more suitable”. However, the SPD has to decide and superior. SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch had recently announced: “We stick to our candidates. I expect the majority to be.”

Around 300 lawyers also strengthened Brosius-Gersdorf and criticized the dealings with it in an open letter about which the legal magazine “Legal Tribune Online” first reported. There was no doubt about the professional qualification of the candidate, the lawyers said. They spoke of “lack of political backbone and a lack of internal preparation”. Brosius-Gersdorf was not protected against degradation by the responsible persons and institutions, the incident could also damage the Federal Constitutional Court.