A procedural impasse has stalled the election of new judges to Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court. The planned election, intended to fill three vacancies on the esteemed court, was postponed on Friday following a sudden withdrawal of support from a key parliamentary group.
Christian Dürr, Chairman of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), expressed frustration with the manner in which the election was ultimately called off. He emphasized the constitutional design intended to ensure a broad, cross-party consensus through a two-thirds majority. Dürr indicated that the actions of the center-right CDU/CSU coalition (Union) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) appeared uncoordinated, leading to damage and a potential undermining of public trust in the selection process.
The situation unfolded after the Parliamentary Constitutional Court Selection Committee initially reached agreement on three candidates proposed by the governing coalition. However, the parliamentary group leader of the CDU/CSU, Jens Spahn, unexpectedly retracted his support for one of the nominees earlier on Friday. This development led to the postponement of the election for all three positions. Further discussions and potential revisions to the selection process are anticipated.
