Broad support is emerging within the Union faction for Sigrid Emmenegger, the candidate newly proposed by the SPD for election to the Federal Constitutional Court. CDU Member of Parliament and Federal Government’s Tourism Commissioner, Christoph Ploß, told the “Handelsblatt” that he will vote for Ms. Emmenegger. Previously, he, along with numerous others in the Union caucus, had indicated they would not vote for the initially planned candidate, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. Ploß praised Union faction leader Jens Spahn and parliamentary secretary Steffen Bilger for their handling of the preparations for the new election, deeming their work “very well done.
Sepp Müller, the CDU’s deputy faction leader for economic affairs, representing Saxony-Anhalt, echoed the sentiment, stating to the newspaper that the coalition has demonstrated its ability to act. He described the SPD’s proposal of Ms. Emmenegger as a “highly respected and integrity-driven jurist” adding that she “enjoys respect far beyond party lines”. Müller confirmed he will cast his vote in her favor.
The election of Constitutional Court judges requires a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag. As such, Ms. Emmenegger would need the votes of the CDU/CSU and SPD coalition factions, alongside support from either the Greens and The Left, or the AfD.
However, both the Greens and The Left have voiced criticism. Greens faction leader Britta Haßelmann deemed the lack of consultation with her party as “remarkably unprofessional, given the history” according to the “Stern” magazine. Clara Bünger, the Left’s domestic policy spokesperson, explicitly called for the Union to engage in discussions.
Prior to the Bundestag’s summer recess, the election of legal professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as a Constitutional Court judge failed. The Union withdrew its previously pledged support for Ms. Brosius-Gersdorf on the morning of the vote.