Overview

• Sigrid Emmenegger, a Federal Administrative Court judge and former Constitutional Court research assistant, was jointly announced by parliamentary managers Steffen Bilger (CDU) and Dirk Wiese (SPD) as the SPD’s replacement nominee.
• Greens and The Left said they were not consulted in advance and signaled no automatic backing, with both parties requesting talks before committing to a position.
• The election committee is expected to meet on Sept. 22, and a plenary vote is planned for Sept. 25, with Union leadership urging full attendance as the ballot requires a two‑thirds majority.
• The slate also includes SPD nominee Ann‑Katrin Kaufhold and Union nominee Günter Spinner, both of whom still need Bundestag approval in the same vote.
• The new push follows July’s collapsed vote and Frauke Brosius‑Gersdorf’s withdrawal, and Union figures describe Emmenegger as a less divisive choice intended to stabilize the process while avoiding reliance on AfD votes.