Germany Parliament fails to appoint new judges to the Constitutional Court

Germany's Constitutional Court becomes political football​

They were supposed to vote in three new judges, two nominated by CDU and one nominated by SPD. However it was removed from the parliamentary agenda on short notice, as it became apparent that one of the candidates: rist and professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf lacked the required votes. She was nominated by SPD and backed by several members of CDU and all of the Left and the Greens, but just enough CDU members would not vote for her, and she would have fallen short of the 2/3 votes needed. Now we will see what will happen? Will they be able to appoint new judges, and what happens if they are not? The Constitutional Court is a pillar of the German political system.

and the circus goes on - not as if there were some urgent problems atm

sad thing. The polarisation makes efficient democratic politics nearly impossible. We loose our compromise skills - soon it will be like the US "either you are with me or against me"

Yes. These things should be procedural votes. The deal was hammered out that three judges would be nominated, and they would back each other's picks. That some from CDU doesn't agree to this creates problems. Now some from SPD might choose to not vote for the judges CDU has picked, and then appointing judges to the Constitutional Court suddenlky becomes a political impossibility. Not to mention I'd wager all these judges needs opposition votes because of the 2/3 requirement. If the government can't agree to all vote for their picks, why the heck would opposition politicians back them? It becomes a quagmire.

the first crisis of the new government

joluoto said:

Germany's Constitutional Court becomes political football​

They were supposed to vote in three new judges, two nominated by CDU and one nominated by SPD. However it was removed from the parliamentary agenda on short notice, as it became apparent that one of the candidates: rist and professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf lacked the required votes. She was nominated by SPD and backed by several members of CDU and all of the Left and the Greens, but just enough CDU members would not vote for her, and she would have fallen short of the 2/3 votes needed. Now we will see what will happen? Will they be able to appoint new judges, and what happens if they are not? The Constitutional Court is a pillar of the German political system.

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stalemate now

This is much the same as in the USA I'm afraid, in that German right wing Fox type media and a huge multifaceted campaign of lies, distortions and exaggerations intimidated a number of conservative CDU/CSU parliamentarians against the lady law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. Covid vaccines were even brought in for high emotional effect.


According to Polisphere's research, the agitating done by right-wing organizations like Nius were particularly notable. This online platform, founded by German billionaire Frank Gotthardt who had the intention of making it into this country's version of Fox News, was shooting at Brosius-Gersdorf from all barrels, and mostly with defamatory and false information.

The law professor was described as a "left-wing radical," an extremist who would have allowed babies aborted at nine months and who was against freedom of opinion. These sort of untruths were peddled to an audience of millions and other far-right media followed suit. Apparently shortly before the scheduled election of the judges, CDU leader and current Chancellor Friedrich Merz and CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn had signaled they expected party members to support Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy. But apparently they were not listened to.



The upshot being that in Germany a number of center right CDU and far right CSU parliamentarians are listening to rightwing media rather than their party leaders while all the time disregarding decades of settled and stable custom, tradition, civil values and binding mores. The aggravating question now is whether there will be a highly unusual secret ballot so the the CDU/CSU candidate Guenter Spinner can rely on fascist AfD votes to sit on the Constitutional Court.

Germany's long stable center just got wacked by a rightwing 2 x 4. The far right is elated and ready to build on this campaign to rouse their supporters for more to come for the squeamish parliamentarians.

The worst of this bunch is Jens Spahn. He was our health minister during covid, made dirty filthy mask deals with friends that costed the tax payer billions and as award became party leader of the CDU....

still now new judges

Brosius has now declared that she does not want the job any more.

Rumpel said:

Brosius has now declared that she does not want the job any more.

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That might solve it. Or then not. The genie is out of the bottle, now they need to try to get it back in.