Widespread support is emerging within the Union faction for Sigrid Emmenegger, the candidate newly proposed by the SPD for election to the Federal Constitutional Court. CDU Member of Parliament and Federal Government Tourism Commissioner Christoph Ploß told the “Handelsblatt” that he intends to vote for Emmenegger.
Previously, Ploß, along with several others in the Union faction, had announced his intention not to vote for the originally planned candidate, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. He now praised Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) and parliamentary director Steffen Bilger (CDU), stating they had “very well managed” the preparations for the new election.
Support also came from CDU’s Deputy faction leader for economic affairs, Sepp Müller, representing Saxony-Anhalt. Müller told the newspaper that the coalition demonstrated its ability to act, noting the SPD had presented a “highly respected and integrity-driven jurist”. He added that Emmenegger enjoys “respect far beyond party lines” and confirmed his vote would go to her.
Electing a Federal Constitutional Court judge requires a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag. As such, Emmenegger requires not only the votes of the CDU/CSU and SPD coalition factions, but also the support of either the Green Party and the Left Party, or alternatively, the AfD.
However, criticism emerged from the Green Party and the Left Party. Green Party faction leader Britta Hasselmann told “Stern” that failing to await their feedback was “rather unprofessional, given the past history”. Clara Bünger, the Left Party’s spokesperson for domestic policy, explicitly called for the Union to engage in discussions.
Prior to the Bundestag’s summer recess, the election of law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as a Federal Constitutional Court judge had failed. The Union withdrew its previously assured support for Brosius-Gersdorf on the morning of the election.
