Top German court nominee withdraws after conservative backlash

A legal scholar appointed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany to sit at the highest courtyard of the country withdrew his candidacy following an intense conservative opposition.

In a press release published Thursday through his law firm, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf said that it was no longer available for the role of the Constitutional Court, citing solid resistance from the members of the central right in the Parliament.

The law professor said that it was “very clear” to him that the conservative legislators of the Bundestag “categorically” rejected his candidacy.

The announcement of Brosius-Gersdorf comes after being plunged into a political storm which called the question of the stability of the young coalition government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The Bundestag – The German Lower Chamber of Parliament – had been about to vote on Brosius -Gersdorf and two other candidates in July, but the vote was suddenly canceled.

The legislators of the Democratic Christian Union of Merz (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) of Bavaria (CSU) expressed strong objections to Brosius-Garsdorf, citing its previous public comments in favor of the rights to abortion and the opening to the idea of compulsory vaccination during the Pandemic of COVID-19.

A few days before the planned vote, a plagiarism watchdog also raised questions about his doctoral thesis.

The failed vote was considered a blow for the coalition between the SPD and the CDU / CSU. Although the Conservatives initially agreed to support it, the party leadership later indicated that it could no longer guarantee the necessary support among the bases of Parliament.

Consequently, the votes for the other two candidates – the candidate of the SPD Ann -Katrin Kaufhold and CDU / CSU choose Günter Spinner – have also been postponed.

Brosius-Gersdorf said on Thursday that she also withdrew her candidacy to “protect” the other two candidates against the chances of derail.