Coalition dispute: Judge election: SPD calls CSU statements “unbearable”

The coalition conflict of the burst choice of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as a constitutional judge is becoming stricter. The SPD parliamentary group is massive criticism of Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Research Minister Dorothee Bär (both CSU). Both had recently given the Jura professor nominated by the SPD publicly: Bär demanded criticism from Brosius-Gersdorf, Dobrindt suggested that the candidacy for the highest German court.

“As Dobrindt and Bär said to the Causa Brosius-Gersdorf, it is unbearable. The demands on the lawyer to put her candidate Ad Acta are an indelicate attempt to push consequences from the failed judge’s election,” said the Bavarian SPD state boss Carolin Wagner.

Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) and his parliamentary group would be responsible for the cardinal error in the Bundestag. The call and career of an excellent scientist would be damaged by a rushing campaign and the minister responsible only suggests the person concerned – “that is shameful,” said Wagner.

Merz relies on noiseless solution behind the scenes

The election of the three candidates for the Federal Constitutional Court on July 11 was taken at short notice from the agenda of the Bundestag. The reason was the resistance within the Union faction. Contrary to prior promises, the top of the parliamentary group could no longer guarantee the approval of the Brosius-Gersdorf.

How the conflict can now be solved is completely open. The SPD adheres to Brosius-Gersdorf’s candidacy. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has repeatedly stated that in the coalition, without time pressure, one wanted to search for a solution. In the end, he did not rule out a withdrawal from candidates. At the same time, he condemned the hostility and threats against the Potsdam constitutional lawyer Brosius-Gersdorf as completely unacceptable.

SPD: “The Union alone has to correct this error”

The Union faction continues to criticize the candidate. Bär defended this criticism a week ago in the ARD talk show “Maischberger” and called “a little resilience” from the law professor. One who wants to be elected to the highest German court from someone who wants to be voted, one must also be able to expect critical ability.

Dobrindt, in turn, suggested Brosius-Gersdorf to take consequences himself. “As an applicant for a position in the constitutional court, there is hardly any intention to continue to promote polarization in society,” he told the “Augsburg Allgemeine”.

The co-chair of the Bavarian SPD state group, Carsten Träger, therefore accuses Dobrindt of a perpetrator-victim reversal. The fact is that only the members of the Union faction were misleaded by false statements and unsustainable accusations. “The Union alone has this mistake and nobody else.”

Linnemann remains confident: “We can do it”

CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann was confident that the conflict can still be settled. “Yes, we can do it,” he told the “Tagesspiegel”. It is important that in the coalition you “come to a broad solution behind the scenes and calmly”. He didn’t want to give details. SPD general secretary Tim Klüssendorf confirmed in the Funke newspapers that the Union is now a duty. The SPD insists on the appointments.

Survey: Majority against the withdrawal of Brosius-Gersdorf

According to a survey, a majority of Germans are against the fact that Jura professor Brosius-Gersdorf withdraws her candidacy for the Federal Constitutional Court because of the concerns in the Union faction. In the Forsa survey for the “star”, 57 percent of those surveyed refused to take such a step. Almost every fourth – 24 percent – believed that the candidate nominated by the SPD should voluntarily do without resistance in the Union. 19 percent did not comment.