Germany updates: Bundestag elects new constitutional judges

Germany's Bundestag is voting on three candidates to take the three empty seats in the Federal Constitutional Court.

Due to the need for a two-thirds majority to get a candidate through, the conservatives may be reliant on votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), although voting is done in secret.

Meanwhile, the Bundesrat, Germany's upper house of parliament, is voting on a proposal for a corporate tax cut that aims to boost investment in Germany.

Below, you'll find a roundup of news, analysis and background from Germany on Friday, July 11.

07/11/2025July 11, 2025

Banning the AfD triggers conflict in Germany's coalition

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has said he rejects the idea of banning the far-right, populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

In an interview with German outlet Welt, Dobrindt — of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Union list — labeled banning the party as "the fundamentally wrong way."

He said such a process could take years, during which time it could get even more difficult to tackle their rising support.

Dobrindt also warned that banning the party would lead to the reinforcement of the party's victim role, saying he didn't want to "do this favor for the AfD."

Several members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the second party in Germany's coalition, have expressed support for a ban.

Most recently, Matthias Miersch, head of the SPD in the Bundestag, spoke out in favor of a ban. 

07/11/2025July 11, 2025

Bundestag to vote on new Constitutional Court judges

There are three seats that need to be filled in the Federal Consitutional CourtImage: Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/imago images

The Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, is expected to decide on the appointment of three new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court.

The conservative bloc, made from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and sister Bavarian party Christian Social Union (CSU), has proposed Federal Labour Court judge Günter Spinner.

The Social Democratic party (SPD), the conservatives' coalition partner, has nominated law professors Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf and Ann-Katrin Kaufhold.

A two-thirds majority is needed for judges to be elected to the high court. The far-right AfD has said it would support Spinner, but not the SPD candidates.

The conservative may be reliant on AfD votes to get its candidate through as it has so far rejected talks with the Left Party. However, votes are secret so it will not necessarily be clear if the AfD votes are what gets Spinner across the line.

As for the SPD candidates, the CDU has expressed doubts over Brosius-Gersdorf's appointment, citing alleged plagiarism. They had already viewed her as too liberal on the topic of abortion and her advocating for mandatory vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Germany's conservatives would therefore like to postpone the vote on Brosius-Gersdorf's appointment. 

Based in the southern German city of Karlsruhe, the Federal Constitutional Court ensures compliance with the country's constitution, known as Basic Law.

07/11/2025July 11, 2025

Tax reliefs for businesses on the upper house's agenda

The Bundesrat is made up of law makers representing Germany's 16 statesImage: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa/picture alliance

Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, is set to vote on tax breaks running into the billions of euros as the government seeks to support companies and boost investment.

The package includes more options for businesses to account for the depreciation in the value of their machinery, a move intended to increase investment, while also promising to gradually reduce Germany's corporate tax rate from 15% to 10% by 2032. 

The tax cut could result in costs at the federal, state and local levels of up to €48 billion ($56 billion). The federal government has agreed to cover the loss in taxes for German states, some of which are heavily in debt, until 2029.

The Bundesrat is also expected to vote on extending rate controls in some residential areas until the end of 2029. The current measures, only in place in limited areas, limit rents to 10% above the local average.

Both measures being voted on on Friday were part of the coalition agreement between the center-right Union bloc and the center-left Social Democrats.

07/11/2025July 11, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Good morning and thank you for joining us today as we bring you the latest news, explainers and analysis from Germany.

Several key votes are set to take place today. The German upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, is set to vote on a corporate tax cut as well as rent control measures.

Meanwhile, the lower house, the Bundestag, is set to vote on new judges to be appointed to the constitutional court.

A split is also emerging between Germany's ruling coalition over calls to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Follow our blog for all this and more!