Negotiations surrounding the selection of a new judge for Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court appear to be off to a cautious start. According to sources within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary groups, no member has yet responded to a request from the parliamentary leadership to schedule a meeting with Sigrid Emmenegger, the SPD’s nominee for the position.
The “Rheinische Post” reported on Thursday, citing parliamentary sources, that no member expressed a willingness to meet with the candidate. Discussions regarding the upcoming judicial election were reportedly minimal during the CDU/CSU parliamentary group meeting on Monday, with only one CDU member reportedly raising concerns about the selection process.
This situation echoes a previous impasse in July, when the election of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, also an SPD candidate, was derailed by the Union’s withdrawal, triggering a significant disagreement between the governing coalition partners. However, sources indicate that Emmenegger has already met with a broader segment of Union leadership.
The Bundestag is now scheduled to vote on the selection of three new Federal Constitutional Court judges on September 25th. The lack of immediate engagement from CDU/CSU representatives suggests a potentially delicate period of deliberation ahead of the vote.
