Following a period of heightened contention surrounding the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as a potential judge for Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, former Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse has urged both his own party and the conservative Union factions to exercise restraint and demonstrate tolerance.
Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Thierse, a former long-standing member of the Central Committee of German Catholics, cautioned against inflammatory rhetoric. He advised his own party to de-escalate the conflict and to avoid perceiving critical commentary as a personal attack, even when such discourse has been harsh.
He acknowledged the right of representatives from the Catholic Church to express deeply held convictions regarding the dignity of unborn life and stressed that such expressions should not be readily condemned. Thierse argued that if public statements from religious institutions are sought on specific issues, criticism should be tempered when disagreements arise on other topics.
Addressing the conservative Union parties, Thierse emphasized the importance of accepting that the Federal Constitutional Court should reflect a diversity of perspectives, provided they remain within the boundaries of the German Basic Law.
He advocated for a move away from immediate criticism and encouraged a thorough examination of the pending issues, along with allowing candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf the opportunity to present her own views directly.
The debate surrounding Brosius-Gersdorf’s nomination has intensified recently, with CDU and CSU politicians, as well as representatives from the Catholic Church, publicly questioning her suitability, citing concerns over her stance on abortion. In response, prominent members of the SPD have reaffirmed their support for her candidacy. Due to the Union’s opposition, the Bundestag was forced to remove the vote on all three Constitutional Court candidates from its agenda on Friday, leaving the future of the selection process uncertain.
