Coalition crisis! Judge election fails due to plagiarism allegations

Coalition crisis! Judge election fails due to plagiarism allegations

The election of judges in the Bundestag, which was originally scheduled for Friday, was canceled at short notice, leading to a serious coalition crisis between the SPD and the Union. Dirk Wiese, SPD, announced the preliminary exit from the election in the Bundestag and emphasized that the SPD was sticking to its personnel proposal, the controversial law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. This was supported by the necessary two-thirds majority in the judges' election committee, but the Union side expressed considerable concerns. Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn named the plagiarism allegations against Brosius-Gersdorf as one of the main reasons for the cancellation of the vote. In total, there are over 20 striking text passages in her doctoral thesis that were discovered by Stefan Weber, who compared them with her husband's habilitation thesis.

The situation was further exacerbated by resistance within the Union, particularly due to Brosius-Gersdorf's stance on issues such as the protection of unborn life. The SPD and the Union have different views on these basic values, which further increased the discontent in the Union and among the party base about Brosius-Gersdorf's personality. The SPD also sees itself burdened by concessions on family reunification. These conflicts created a lasting sense of disappointment on both sides.

Consequences of the cancellation and reactions

Yesterday the election of judges was removed from the agenda, which led to a real political issue within the coalition. Spahn had assured on Monday that he would support the SPD proposals, but the late allegations were able to completely outline the political discourse. The SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch described the developments as a “disaster”, while Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil called on the Union to take responsibility. The trust within the coalition, which had already been broken, is now considered “severely damaged”.

The Greens have already called for a special session of the Bundestag and expressed considerable criticism of Spahn. Meanwhile, the future of the judgeship is uncertain. The President of the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner, promised that the election would be rescheduled for September if no agreement was reached. In such a case, the oldest member of the election committee would be required to send suggestions to the Federal Constitutional Court.

Long-term perspectives and political implications

Politically speaking, the current situation calls for more calm, discipline and a willingness to compromise. It is feared that the coalition peace between the SPD and the CDU/CSU will be further strained by these incidents. Both sides feel that they have already made too many concessions. The important budget must also be passed more quickly and further investments pushed forward. The Federal Council has already approved an investment booster with votes from CDU and SPD-led states. The aim is to focus on reducing bureaucratic hurdles in order to make progress visible. Next year's elections in East Germany could be further polarized by current tensions.

People's trust in politicians and their promises remains crucial, especially in times when such a crisis can have a lasting impact on the political landscape. The coming weeks will show whether the coalition can overcome the challenges and find its way back to a more stable coexistence.

Further information about the background and developments can be found at MDR and Mercury.