September 11, 2025
Social Democrats nominate new top court candidate after scandal
The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the junior partners in Germany’s conservative-led coalition government, have tapped a new candidate for the Constitutional Court, according to the DPA news agency.
The proposed candidate is reportedly Sigrid Emmenegger, who has served as a judge at the Federal Administrative Court in the eastern city of Leipzig since 2021.
Coalition leaders “have each been able to gain a very positive impression of Dr. Emmenegger in personal discussions,” said a letter cited by DPA that was addressed to the SPD parliamentary groups and the conservative bloc of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The news comes following a political uproar in July when the SPD’s previous nomination for the court, law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, was rejected by conservative elements over her support of liberal abortion laws.
The dispute led to a postponement of a vote on the top court appointments, and Brosius-Gersdorf later withdrew her candidacy, with the whole affair calling the stability of the coalition into question.
Although appointments to the rarely cause political fights, theyrequire a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which means cross-party consensus is essential.
A new vote to confirm Emmenegger and two other candidates for the Karlsruhe-based court is expected later in September.
To have the candidates accepted, the government will require support from the Greens and The Left Party, as all mainstream parties reject cooperation with the largest opposition group, the far-right Alternative for Germany.