SPD wants Brosius-Gersdorf to appear before the Union faction

Berlin – In the dispute over the election of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as a judge at the Federal Constitutional Court, the SPD intends to make an offer of talks to the CDU/CSU. According to the "Bild" newspaper, the SPD's candidate for judge, whose election failed on Friday, is expected to appear in person before the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and discuss her candidacy with members of the CDU and CSU. According to "Bild," SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch had proposed the idea of a direct meeting between Brosius-Gersdorf and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group at an SPD parliamentary group meeting convened via video link on Friday evening. Miersch stated that he was in close contact with Brosius-Gersdorf, and that she intends to pursue her candidacy for the Federal Constitutional Court. Earlier on Friday, the Bundestag's election of three constitutional judges was canceled because the CDU/CSU feared that its members would deny the SPD candidate Brosius-Gersdorf a majority. An SPD member of the parliamentary group's leadership told Bild: "We hope that the concerns about Brosius-Gersdorf can be dispelled at the meeting in the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Many of her positions were presented in a completely distorted manner. It is time for the members of parliament to engage in personal dialogue with our candidate and not get upset about social media." The SPD expects the CDU/CSU leadership to accept the offer of talks. "Merz and Spahn simply cannot say no," one member of parliament told Bild. The Social Democrats hope that Brosius-Gersdorf can then address the CDU/CSU MPs' concerns during the personal meeting. In addition, the meeting offers Brosius-Gersdorf's opponents in the CDU/CSU the opportunity to change their position while saving face, so that they can still vote for the SPD candidate. Another top SPD politician sees this offer as a way out of the coalition crisis that erupted in the dispute over the judge's election. He told "Bild": "We have to find a way to deal with each other properly again in government. That is the responsibility of the CDU/CSU and SPD in view of the ever-growing AfD."