The parliamentary group of the center-right political alliance, composed of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), is reportedly planning to remove the scheduled election of legal expert Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as a Constitutional Court judge from the Bundestag’s agenda this Friday.
According to multiple media outlets, the decision to withdraw the motion was communicated to the Social Democratic Party (SPD) by CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The stated reason for the move isn’t the previously voiced criticisms regarding her legal viewpoints – including her stance on abortion rights – but rather newly emerged allegations of plagiarism.
The SPD had nominated Brosius-Gersdorf for the position. Despite the prior objections raised by members of the CDU/CSU, Chancellor Merz had affirmed just Wednesday in the Bundestag whether he could reconcile her selection with his conscience. Several other prominent figures within the CDU/CSU had recently advocated for her appointment. The move injects a new element of uncertainty into the selection process, which had been marked by significant debate.
