Germany Bundestag Postpones Constitutional Court Judges Vote

Germany's Bundestag postponed the vote on appointing three judges to the Federal Constitutional Court after the conservative CDU/CSU bloc requested a delay specifically for SPD nominee Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf due to plagiarism allegations raised by an Austrian 'plagiarism hunter.' The CDU/CSU had previously expressed reservations about Brosius-Gersdorf's liberal views on abortion and support for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, but their sudden postponement sparked outrage from the SPD and the Greens, who accused the conservatives of undermining the court's legitimacy and treating Brosius-Gersdorf unfairly. The vote delay has thrown Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition into crisis, marking the second key vote failure in recent months, and highlighting tensions within the governing alliance. The far-right AfD party has indicated support only for the CDU candidate Günter Spinner, complicating the coalition's majority required for a two-thirds vote. The postponement has led to calls from opposition parties to delay votes on all three judicial candidates, deepening the political deadlock over the court appointments.