A debate has emerged in the German parliament concerning the approach of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) regarding statements made by representatives of the Catholic Church. SPD parliamentarian Helge Lindh, in an interview with “Der Spiegel”, accused the CDU of hypocrisy in its response to criticisms leveled by Church officials regarding the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as a judge on the Federal Constitutional Court.
Lindh highlighted a perceived inconsistency, pointing out that Bundestag President Julia Klöckner previously defended the CDU’s stance against criticism from religious institutions regarding their migration policies. He suggested that some within the CDU who previously condemned the politicization of religious institutions now appear to readily utilize Church pronouncements in the context of the Brosius-Gersdorf nomination.
Lindh called on the CDU to avoid applying double standards, emphasizing the importance of preventing the “hyper-politicization” of constitutional law. Another SPD parliamentarian, Sebastian Roloff, added a similar critique, noting the CDU’s reluctance to engage with Church views on migration contrasts sharply with their willingness to consider such opinions in the context of the judicial selection process, a situation he described as seemingly convenient for certain political agendas. The ongoing discussion underscores the complexities surrounding the relationship between religious institutions and the political sphere in Germany.