Overview

• CDU/CSU requested last-minute postponement of SPD nominee Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf’s appointment after self-declared plagiarism hunter Stefan Weber raised unverified claims.
• Senior SPD politician Anke Rehlinger criticized the postponement as unsavoury and harmful to both the nominee and the court's reputation.
• Conservatives had previously signalled support for Brosius-Gersdorf until expressing reservations over her liberal views on abortion and pandemic vaccine mandates.
• The appointment requires a two-thirds majority in a secret ballot and the coalition’s slim margin could force it to rely on AfD or Left Party votes.
• The delay marks the coalition’s second setback after failing to secure a court appointment in an earlier vote three months ago.