Germany’s Bundestag successfully elected three new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court on Thursday, September 25th, bringing to an end a months-long dispute that strained relations within the governing coalition.
In a secret ballot, the Social Democrats’ (SPD) nominees Sigrid Emmenegger and Ann-Katrin Kaufhold, along with centre-right CDU’s candidate Günter Spinner, each secured the required two-thirds majority.
The result follows a failed attempt in July, when the candidacy of SPD’s Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf collapsed amid fierce opposition from parts of the CDU over her liberal stance on abortion and her support for banning the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
Brosius-Gersdorf eventually withdrew in August, citing the risk of a coalition breakdown, after weeks of mounting controversy over her views and allegations of plagiarism. Her replacement, Emmenegger, faced no significant resistance from the CDU.
Kaufhold, however, drew sharp criticism from AfD leaders, who accused her of being a “political activist” intent on weaponising the court against the opposition.
Speaking in the parliament on Thursday, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said it is “scandalous when an institution like the Federal Constitutional Court is instrumentalised as a party-political weapon through the appointment of political activists to judicial posts.”
The prolonged row had cast a shadow over the coalition throughout the summer, with SPD leaders accusing their conservative partners of capitulating to right-wing pressure.
With Thursday’s vote, the government appears to have overcome the deadlock. All three judges are expected to take up their posts in Karlsruhe shortly, ensuring that Germany’s top court remains fully staffed.
