Postponed vote on top judge pitches German coalition into crisis
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers the inaugural speech at the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, in Berlin, Germany, July 11, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben
BERLIN - Germany's coalition was thrown into disarray on Friday after Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives ordered the last-minute postponement of a vote to elect a judge to the Constitutional Court.
Merz's Christian Democrats said it had taken the decision to pause Friday's parliamentary vote because of the publication of unsubstantiated plagiarism allegations against Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf.
But his Social Democrat coalition partners and the opposition Greens said she was being treated unfairly. Over the past week, conservative legislators have said they were uncomfortable with her support for abortion rights.
This is the second occasion on which the coalition has failed to muster support on a key vote. Merz's own appointment three months ago fell through in the first round of voting.
The Christian Democrats had this week indicated they would support Brosius-Gersdorf, a judge and law professor nominated by the Social Democrats.
But on Friday they said they had changed their mind after Austrian Stefan Weber, a self-declared "plagiarism hunter", published allegations against Brosius-Gersdorf on X on Thursday evening.
Brosius-Gersdorf did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for a comment. Many comments under Weber's social media post dismissed the allegations, some calling them "nonsense".
"Whatever happens now, this process has been conducted in a very unsavoury way," senior SPD politician Anke Rehlinger said.
"It harms the person in question and the reputation of the court... It really bothers me how a judge, and a woman, is being treated."
The row is an embarrassment for Merz and his ally Jens Spahn, the party's parliamentary leader, whose job includes coordinating votes to preserve the peace in the coalition.
"This is a disaster for parliament, and especially for Jens Spahn and Friedrich Merz and the coalition parties," senior Green Britta Hasselmann said.
Weber said bibliographic references in a PhD thesis by Brosius-Gersdorf had lifted material from her husband's thesis on a similar topic, even though it was published a year later.
The Constitutional Court is one of Germany's most respected and powerful institutions. Its decision to overturn a budget helped trigger the collapse of Germany's last government.
While judges often have open party affiliations, public disagreements over hot-button cultural issues are rare. It members speak with pride about its political neutrality, frequently comparing it favourably with the U.S. Supreme Court. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Thai PM may seek court deadline extension in leaked call case
Find out what's new on ST website and app. On July 1, the Constitutional Court suspended Ms Paetongtarn from her duties as prime minister pending a review of the petition. BANGKOK - Embattled Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra may not be able to submit her written defence to the Constitutional Court in time and will likely seek an extension of the deadline, said her Secretary-General Prommin Lertsuridej on July 14 . Mr Prommin was speaking in reference to the Constitutional Court case filed by 36 senators, who are calling for Ms Paetongtarn's removal over an audio clip of her conversation with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. On July 1, the Constitutional Court suspended Ms Paetongtarn from her duties as prime minister pending a review of the petition. The court gave her 15 days to submit a written defence. The senators allege that the leaked audio clip reveals an ethical violation, claiming that Ms Paetongtarn appeared to side with Cambodia in an ongoing border dispute. 'We are preparing the written defence, but if it cannot be completed in time, we will ask the court for an extension,' Mr Prommin said. Mr Prommin declined to confirm whether former deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam would head Ms Paetongtarn's legal defence team. However, he noted that the defence team had already been formed, though details remain undisclosed. He stated that the defence would demonstrate Ms Paetongtarn's intent to protect Thailand's national interests during her conversation with Mr Hun Sen. Mr Prommin also accused Mr Hun Sen of exploiting the situation by leaking the conversation and using 'improper means' to create controversy. He emphasised that the leaked clip merely showed Ms Paetongtarn conversing with an individual who does not officially represent the Cambodian government. Mr Prommin also revealed that he was present during the call and confirmed that it was Mr Hun Sen's side who initially contacted Ms Paetongtarn, rescheduling the conversation two or three times. Due to her discomfort, Ms Paetongtarn had requested Mr Prommin, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, and Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to be present during the phone conversation. Mr Prommin said that during the call, Mr Hun Sen's personal interpreter mentioned he could not conclude the discussion and needed to consult Mr Hun Sen, prompting Ms Paetongtarn to call back. 'What's important is that Hun Sen is not an official representative of the Cambodian government,' Mr Prommin stressed. He said the defence would present facts to the court showing that Ms Paetongtarn worked in consultation with all relevant agencies, including the Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry. He added that he, Mr Phumtham and Mr Maris were all prepared to serve as defence witnesses in the case. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Russian military chief Gerasimov inspects forces fighting in eastern Ukraine
Find out what's new on ST website and app. MOSCOW - The chief of Russia's general staff, Valery Gerasimov, has inspected the "Centre" group of Russian forces which is fighting in the Pokrovsk area of the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Russia's defence ministry said on Monday. Pokrovsk, which Russia refers to by its Soviet-era name of Krasnoarmeisk, is one of the focal points of Russian military action in the drive to secure control over all of the Donetsk region. The defence ministry said the commanders of Russian unites updated Gerasimov on battlefield developments. It posted a video on its Telegram channel, showing Gerasimov boarding, flying and disembarking a military helicopter, and then meeting the officers in military fatigues. Russia controls nearly 19% of what is internationally recognised to be Ukraine, including Crimea and the Luhansk region, more than 70% of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Six Syrian security personnel killed after deploying to quell sectarian clashes, source says
Find out what's new on ST website and app. DAMASCUS - Six members of Syria's security forces have been killed in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, a security source told Reuters, after they deployed to halt deadly sectarian clashes that local media reported had resumed on Monday. Sunday's fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouin tribal fighters was the first time that sectarian violence erupted inside the city of Sweida itself, following months of tensions in the broader province. The fighting left 30 people dead and prompted Syria's security forces to deploy units to the city to restore calm and guarantee safe passage for civilians looking to leave, the defence ministry said in a statement. But intense clashes broke out again on Monday, local news outlet Sweida24 reported. At least six Syrian troops were subsequently killed, a defence ministry source told Reuters. It marked the latest episode of sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where fears among minority groups have surged since Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces. Sunni Muslim Arab rebel groups which fought Assad during the war agreed in December to dissolve into the defence ministry but efforts to integrate armed factions from minority groups - including Druze and Kurds - have largely stalled. In southern Syria, efforts have been further complicated by Israel's stated policy that it would not allow Syria's new army to deploy south of Damascus and that Sweida and neighbouring provinces should make up a demilitarized zone. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Ave 3 Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat Singapore Jail, caning for man who had 285 child porn videos, including those that show infants Singapore Three power companies chosen to study carbon capture and storage to help Singapore decarbonise Interior Minister Anas Khattab said in a written statement carried on state media that the "absence of state institutions, especially military and security institutions, is a major cause of the ongoing tensions in Sweida and its countryside." Sunday's violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida, witnesses said. REUTERS
