The nomination process for Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf to become a judge on Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court has been thrown into uncertainty after the CDU politician Hendrik Hoppenstedt cast doubt on whether the CDU/CSU parliamentary group will ultimately support the SPD candidate.
During a recent podcast appearance, Hoppenstedt stated that he currently cannot guarantee there will be sufficient support for Brosius-Gersdorf. The decision to remove the agenda item for her nomination from Friday’s session followed a noticeable decline in support within the parliamentary group, he explained.
“The group found it increasingly difficult to align itself with this proposal” Hoppenstedt stated. “Therefore, we pulled the emergency brake.
While an initial agreement on Brosius-Gersdorf’s candidacy had been reached, subsequent debate, both within the parliamentary group and nationally, resulted in diminishing acceptance of her nomination. Hoppenstedt acknowledged that the parliamentary group leadership could have anticipated the evolving sentiment and may need to handle similar nominations more critically in the future.
CSU board member Emmi Zeulner expressed concern over the intense scrutiny directed at Brosius-Gersdorf, highlighting reports of threatening messages she received and questioning the validity of criticisms regarding her professional qualifications. She firmly refuted claims that Brosius-Gersdorf could be classified as a left-wing extremist.
Zeulner also indicated understanding if the SPD chooses to reconsider its support for her candidacy, emphasizing that withdrawing might be advisable “in the interests of the reputation of the Federal Constitutional Court”.
