Karlsruhe in crisis: chaos in the election of new constitutional judges!

Karlsruhe in crisis: chaos in the election of new constitutional judges!

On July 16, 2025, the situation surrounding the replacement of three judge positions at the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe is anything but rosy. Government Gazette reports that Saskia Esken pointed out the difficult situation after a heated debate on the rules of procedure that took place last day. The coalition embarrassed itself again after the chancellor election, and trust in the state and its institutions has been declining for years.

The urgency of the situation is high because a total of three constitutional judges have reached the age limit and need to be replaced. The new judges will only take office after the term of office of the current judges. In this context, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder has announced that the CSU will not co-elect the Potsdam lawyer Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf and instead calls on the SPD to submit a different proposal. This attitude could particularly displease the smaller coalition partner SPD.

Votes and suggestions

Loud Deutschlandfunk All parliamentary groups have the right to make proposals, but the AfD and the Left were not included. The Union proposes Günter Spinner, a former judge at the Federal Labor Court, while the SPD makes two proposals: Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf and Ann-Katrin Kaufhold, both professors in the field of law. The choice is not easy; A two-thirds majority in the Bundestag is necessary, which could pose a challenge since the Union's cooperation with the Left is burdened by fundamental reservations.

The process of electing judges is complex. The Bundestag's election committee discusses the proposals and a secret vote is planned in which MPs cast their votes in voting booths. In the last few days, the votes on the SPD candidates have been repeatedly postponed due to resistance in the Union, which makes the tense mood clear. ZDF reports that the CDU/CSU candidate may rely on votes from the AfD to achieve a majority. This could set a precedent because the AfD has campaigned for weirdos but rejects the SPD candidates.

Future of the Federal Constitutional Court

The repeated delays have further exacerbated the already tense situation. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Bundestag President Julia Klöckner express the hope that the elections in the Bundestag can soon be concluded successfully. It is also emphasized that the Federal Constitutional Court must not be left alone, as citizens' trust in the state and its institutions is at stake. After all, the constitutional judges have a term of office of 12 years, during which they decide on important legal questions.

It remains to be seen how the coalition will come together to repair the damage. The ball is in the court of politics, and the next few days will decide whether the Federal Constitutional Court can be filled with new members in a timely manner or whether responsibility is transferred to the Federal Council. In any case, the political culture must be reconsidered to restore trust in the country's most important court.