Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf Withdraws Candidacy for Federal Constitutional Court

Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf has officially announced her withdrawal from consideration for a judgeship on the Federal Constitutional Court. In her statement, she cited significant signals from the CDU/CSU faction, both publicly and privately, indicating that her election was unlikely. This prompted her decision to step back from the candidacy.

Reports suggest that there were urgent communications directed at Brosius-Gersdorf, urging her to reconsider her candidacy due to a lack of support from the Union faction. However, members of the Union have denied any knowledge of such communications, stating, "We are not aware of whom she is referring to."

Additionally, the situation has been complicated by recent allegations regarding her doctoral thesis. Sources within the Union indicated that they could not support Brosius-Gersdorf while the investigation into these allegations at the University of Hamburg was ongoing. This means that the Union and SPD's plans to finalize the appointments for the judgeships by the end of summer would likely be unfeasible without her withdrawal.

Furthermore, the allegations stem from findings by the controversial academic investigator Stefan Weber, who pointed out identical text passages in the scholarly works of Brosius-Gersdorf and her husband, Hubertus Gersdorf, raising concerns about academic integrity. Esteemed historian Professor Michael Wolffsohn commented on the matter, questioning the implications of such allegations if Brosius-Gersdorf were to be appointed as one of the highest judges in the country.

In light of these developments, Brosius-Gersdorf's legal firm has indicated that no further statements from her are anticipated at this time.