Overview
- At the Karlsruhe ceremony, the German president cautioned that turning judicial appointments into party battles harms the rule of law.
- He warned against mocking judges, labeling rulings as politically driven, or ignoring decisions, and cited manipulation and propaganda on social media as corrosive.
- His remarks followed October appointments of one man and two women to the Federal Constitutional Court after a July vote failed and SPD nominee Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf withdrew.
- A FOCUS Online editorial rejected his claim that partisan conflict over judicial posts is harmful, arguing that robust scrutiny of candidates is legitimate.
- FOCUS reported strong reader criticism accusing him of partisanship, with many calling for more transparency in selections and voicing doubts about judicial neutrality.