The failed election of judges to the Federal Constitutional Court has drawn criticism of the leadership of the center-right CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Former CDU General Secretary Peter Tauber has publicly questioned the handling of the process by parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn (CDU) and his deputies, Alexander Hoffmann (CSU).
According to Tauber’s statements to the “Frankfurter Rundschau” a number of members within the CDU/CSU group voiced reservations about the candidacy of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf well before the public debate began. He argued that the parliamentary group leadership should have been aware of these concerns and proactively communicated them to the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He suggested a message along the lines of acknowledging the independence of parliamentary members and precluding the possibility of imposing party discipline on the matter.
Tauber characterized the situation as a matter of political acumen, dismissing suggestions that undue influence from right-wing political influencers played a decisive role. He indicated that the extent of this perceived influence has been overstated.
An analysis by the think tank “Polisphere” revealed that prominent figures within the far-right spectrum began mobilizing against Brosius-Gersdorf early on. Initially, the focus was on her previous considerations regarding vaccine mandates and potential party bans. Later, the issue of abortion was significantly amplified, often accompanied by the misrepresentation of the judge’s views.
Despite the current impasse, Tauber expressed confidence that the conflict surrounding the judge election is resolvable. He suggested that a degree of public expectation for disagreement may be contributing to the heightened perception of the situation and emphasized the significance of meticulous procedural accuracy moving forward.
