A disagreement has emerged within German political circles concerning the recent nomination process for a judge at the Federal Constitutional Court, specifically regarding the candidacy of Ulrike Brosius-Gersdorf. Dirk Wiese, parliamentary group secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has publicly contradicted remarks made by Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz.
During an interview on the POLITICO Berlin Playbook podcast, Wiese emphasized the importance of upholding coalition agreements. “Of course, there are always matters of conscience within the German Bundestag. But, frankly, there are also coalition contracts” he stated. “There are things that one agrees upon.
Merz, in a separate appearance on ARD television, had asserted that directives could not be issued to parliamentarians regarding personnel decisions, framing the situation as a matter of individual conscience. Wiese countered this perspective, suggesting that commitments should be honoured and not obscured by claims of conscience.
The SPD politician further criticized Jens Spahn, the parliamentary group leader of the CDU, alleging a failure to maintain agreed-upon positions. He pointed to the case of the Constitutional Court judge nominations, where initial assurances of support for a candidate were ultimately withdrawn, leading to a perception of lost trust.
Wiese cautioned that such actions could undermine the stability of the governing coalition. “If you follow this logic to its conclusion, then forecasting votes becomes genuinely difficult. And then, achieving narrow majorities also becomes difficult” he observed. He urged the CDU to engage with Brosius-Gersdorf, inviting her to address the parliamentary group and ultimately vote for her candidacy in September.