The German government has responded cautiously to criticism voiced by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier regarding the recently postponed judicial election within the Bundestag.
Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius, in a statement to the dts news agency on Monday in Berlin, indicated that the government had “taken note” of the Federal President’s remarks with respect. Pressed on the apparent divergence in opinion between Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and President Steinmeier concerning the urgency of the situation, Kornelius affirmed that each constitutional body operates independently and referred to Chancellor Merz’s detailed comments made on Sunday.
“I would also like to state that this matter falls within the responsibility of another constitutional body, namely the German Bundestag” Kornelius continued, adding that the government now anticipates further steps from the parliamentary factions.
President Steinmeier had previously expressed concern on Sunday in a ZDF television interview, suggesting the governing coalition had “harmed itself” through the failed election of constitutional judges. He also emphasized the importance of resolving the selection process in the near future. Chancellor Merz, in contrast, stated in an ARD television interview that the postponement represented no significant setback and that there was no pressing timeline for action.
