Brosius-Gersdorf faces criticism from Scharrenbach over her treatment
In a recent interview with Ina Scharrenbach, chairwoman of the Women's Union in NRW and Minister of Building in NRW CDU, she criticised the handling of Federal Constitutional Court candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, whose nomination by the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) has sparked intense controversy.
The resistance within the Union faction, primarily composed of CDU/CSU conservatives, stems from ideological and political disagreements over Brosius-Gersdorf's liberal stances on key cultural issues. These include her support for compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations, backing for a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and her views on abortion and gender equality.
The CDU/CSU originally supported Brosius-Gersdorf's nomination but abruptly withdrew their support after the controversy escalated. They expressed concerns not about plagiarism allegations—which have been addressed and largely resolved—but about substantive ideological disagreements, particularly regarding her perceived "ultra-left" views on abortion and gender issues.
This backlash has caused a significant political dispute within Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ruling coalition, revealing tensions between conservative and center-left forces. Merz himself defended Brosius-Gersdorf against what he described as "unacceptable," biased, and defamatory attacks.
Catholic bishops and lay Catholics have also strongly opposed her nomination, considering her views on abortion a “domestic political scandal.” This opposition underscores the broader cultural and religious dimensions of the resistance within the conservative sphere.
Scharrenbach emphasized that the professional competence of all three candidates is given and that the decision now lies with the MPs. The dispute over the judicial election continues, with Scharrenbach providing an explanation in the interview available on the website 5 Westblick.
For those interested in politics, 5 Westblick offers a newsletter for NRW. The website also features an article titled "Abortion decriminalization: What could change" with audio and video, and an audio piece titled "How the CDU messed up its vacation start."
The article "Causa Brosius-Gersdorf: A campaign from far right" is available on tagesschau, and the article "CSU calls for new candidates in Federal Constitutional Court election" is also available on the same platform. As of July 24, 2025, at 15:20, the transcript of the interview with Ina Scharrenbach remains available on 5 Westblick until July 24, 2026.
[1] Tagesschau. "Causa Brosius-Gersdorf: A campaign from far right." Accessed July 24, 2025. [2] Tagesschau. "CSU calls for new candidates in Federal Constitutional Court election." Accessed July 24, 2025. [3] 5 Westblick. "How the CDU messed up its vacation start." Accessed July 24, 2025. [4] 5 Westblick. "Abortion decriminalization: What could change." Accessed July 24, 2025. [5] 5 Westblick. (Interview transcript with Ina Scharrenbach.) Accessed July 24, 2025.
- The political dispute over the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf for the Federal Constitutional Court has sparked intense discussions in the realms of policy-and-legislation and politics, particularly regarding her liberal stances on women's health issues, such as abortion and gender equality.
- In a time when health-and-wellness, including compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations, is a hot topic of debate, her support for such measures has further fueled the controversy surrounding her nomination, resonating in the general-news sector as well.
- The actress of ideological and political disagreements in Germany's historical landscape is also painted onto the canvas of science and academia, as plagiarism allegations, though largely resolved, experienced a brief period of questioning, contributing to the overall complexity of this event in the annals of German history.
