Extremism - Union and Ampel plan safety for Federal Constitutional Court
The SPD, Greens, and FDP factions have agreed with the Union on a reform to better protect the Federal Constitutional Court from extremists. Details of their joint proposal will be presented in Berlin on Tuesday. The German Press Association invited to a press conference on Monday with the title "Strengthening the Resilience of the Federal Constitutional Court," during which Bundesjustizminister Marco Buschmann (FDP) is expected to participate.
Out of concern for the strengthening of extreme parties, the traffic light coalition proposed last year to enshrine regulations on the election and tenure of constitutional judges not only in a simple law but also in the Basic Law. For such a change, a two-thirds majority is required in the Bundestag, making the support of the Union fraction necessary. During the deliberations, the questions of the resilience of the Federal Constitutional Court, according to information from the German Press Agency, were also discussed with a view to experiences in Poland.
In Poland, the now-defeated national-conservative PiS government, which ruled the country from 2015 to 2023, began restructuring the justice system according to its views immediately after taking office. The first step targeted the Constitutional Court. The PiS government did not recognize three constitutional judges appointed before their power seizure and filled the positions with their own candidates.
- The reform agreement to safeguard the Federal Constitutional Court from extremism will be discussed at a federal press conference in Berlin on Tuesday, attended by the FDP's Bundesjustizminister Marco Buschmann.
- The joint proposal from the SPD, Greens, FDP, and Union aims to strengthen the resilience of the Federal Constitutional Court, and it involves enshrining regulations in both a simple law and the Constitution (Law) of Germany.
- Last year, worried about the rise of extreme parties, the traffic light coalition proposed amending the Basic Law to include regulations on the election and tenure of constitutional judges, requiring the support of the Union fraction due to the need for a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag.
- The proposed reform follows concerns raised regarding the experiences in Poland, where the now-defeated PiS government restructured the justice system and disregarded the appointment of constitutional judges, filling the positions with their own candidates.
- In Germany, the Federal Parliament and the Federal Constitutional Court play crucial roles in upholding the Constitution (Law) and preserving the country's democratic values, making the protection of these institutions vital against the threat of extremism.
