University President Announces Judicial Contender from SPD - SPD judicial candidate faces university president contender
In an unexpected turn of events, the election of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for judge at Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, was abruptly removed from the Bundestag agenda. This decision was primarily due to a political dispute involving plagiarism allegations and opposition to her liberal views on abortion and support for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations.
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group retracted their backing shortly before the vote, preventing Brosius-Gersdorf from achieving the necessary two-thirds majority in the Bundestag, leading to the cancellation of all three judicial elections scheduled that day. The controversy reflects a broader political clash about ideological control of the Constitutional Court, with far-right and conservative factions leveraging social media and media campaigns to undermine center-left candidates.
Far-right media outlets and the AfD party escalated a smear campaign against Brosius-Gersdorf, portraying her as a radical pro-abortion activist advocating for abortions up to the ninth month and criticizing her support for compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations. Allegations of plagiarism were introduced just before the vote as an additional reason to block her appointment, though some left-wing politicians dismissed these claims as unfounded and politically motivated.
Oliver Günther, the President of Potsdam University and a fellow SPD member, expressed concerns about the treatment of Brosius-Gersdorf. He finds it questionable that she is being treated in a manner that could potentially eliminate her from the race. Günther considers Brosius-Gersdorf to be an outstanding colleague and is pleased if she were still elected as a judge at the Federal Constitutional Court.
The Federal Constitutional Court, the highest German court, is closely watched in Germany due to experiences in the USA, according to Günther. The election of constitutional judges is a task that traditionally falls upon the factions to agree on candidates. However, the Union faction, a political group, has expressed concerns about Brosius-Gersdorf, particularly regarding her allegedly liberal stance on abortions and her positive stance on mandatory vaccination during the corona crisis. Despite previous assurances, the Union faction leadership could no longer guarantee Brosius-Gersdorf's support.
Despite the setback, the SPD continues to support its candidate. Julia Klöckner (CDU), the Bundestag President, considers a quick solution after the summer break possible. The German Press Agency was the source of the information provided in this article.
[1] Bundesregierung [2] Deutsche Presse-Agentur [3] Der Spiegel [4] Süddeutsche Zeitung
- The controversy surrounding the cancellation of Fraukke Brosius-Gersdorf's election as a judge at Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has sparked intense debates about education-and-self-development and personal-growth, highlighting the impact of politics on policy-and-legislation.
- The smear campaign against Brosius-Gersdorf by far-right media outlets and the AfD party has raised concerns about the role of politics in learning, leading to a broader discussion on the consequences of such tactics in EC countries.
- The cancellation of Brosius-Gersdorf's election and the subsequent general-news coverage have underscored the importance of vocational training in maintaining an unbiased and competent judiciary, with some pointing to the need for enhanced oversight and regulation in policy-and-legislation.
