Nominee for Germany's highest court, Brosius-Gersdorf, withdraws her application for the position.
In a surprising turn of events, Ulrike Brosius-Gersdorf has announced her withdrawal from the nomination to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court. This decision comes after a series of events that caused tensions within the governing coalition between the CDU and SPD.
Initially, Brosius-Gersdorf was praised as an "excellent candidate" by Germany's Vice Chancellor and co-leader of the SPD, Lars Klingbeil. However, the CDU/CSU unexpectedly withdrew their support due to concerns about her views on abortion and mandatory vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nomination process was not without controversy. The far-right AfD fuelled a campaign of division, and the depiction of Brosius-Gersdorf as a radical-left candidate was widely condemned as a campaign by the far right. Despite this, Brosius-Gersdorf did not want the election process to widen the rift in the coalition and lead to unknown impacts on democracy.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the attacks against Brosius-Gersdorf in the media "completely unacceptable." Klingbeil criticized those in the coalition who did not keep their word regarding Brosius-Gersdorf's nomination and expressed regret over her withdrawal but respected her decision due to recent attacks.
The SPD stood by Brosius-Gersdorf to the end, and she received great support from the Green and Left parties. Matthias Miersch, head of the SPD's parliamentary group, holds the CDU/CSU responsible for blocking Brosius-Gersdorf's election despite an agreement between coalition partners.
In light of the failed election process, Miersch stated that the SPD will put forward a new suitable candidate, maintaining a focus on technical excellence. Despite the setback, the SPD remains committed to ensuring a fair and representative Federal Constitutional Court.
