Former SPD Minister of Health, Ulla Schmidt, has accused the CDU leader, Friedrich Merz and the Union party of attempting to co-opt her stance regarding the controversial legal expert, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf.
In an interview with “Stern” magazine, Schmidt stated that the CDU is leveraging her criticism to deflect attention from their own perceived shortcomings. She expressed an understanding of the political strategy but deemed the appropriation of her position inappropriate, characterizing it as a misunderstanding.
Schmidt acknowledged that, were she still a Member of Parliament, she likely would have supported Brosius-Gersdorf’s candidacy. While voicing reservations concerning Brosius-Gersdorf’s perspective on human dignity, she emphasized the candidate’s exceptional legal expertise.
She urged the Union to promptly clarify its position on the matter. Schmidt indicated her expectation that Brosius-Gersdorf will remain a candidate, emphasizing the CDU’s responsibility to consolidate internal support for her. She noted that Merz himself recently stated that he considers Brosius-Gersdorf to be electable, suggesting he and his parliamentary group leader were caught off guard by the level of opposition.
Schmidt’s previous criticisms of Brosius-Gersdorf last week ignited considerable debate. Chancellor Merz, during a recent televised interview, explicitly referenced Schmidt’s comments to demonstrate that resistance to the Constitutional Court candidate extends beyond the Union party.
