Germany Fortifies Constitutional Court Against Political Influence

Germany's parliament passes a law to protect the Constitutional Court from political manipulation, responding to fears of far-right influence. The law establishes court structure in the Basic Law, requiring a two-thirds parliamentary majority for changes and includes a judge election mechanism. The legislation faced opposition from the far-right AfD party.

In a decisive move to shield its judiciary from potential political manipulation, Germany's lower house of parliament has passed critical legislation aimed at protecting the Constitutional Court, a key democratic institution.

This move comes amid concerns of far-right efforts to undermine the judiciary and drew inspiration from controversial judicial reforms in Hungary and Poland. The new law, swiftly enacted before February's unexpected election, solidifies the court’s structure in the nation's Basic Law.

The implementation decrees that any alterations to the court will need a two-thirds majority in both parliament houses. Notably, it introduces a solution for judicial impasses, ensuring the appointment process is streamlined. While the bill had robust support from major parties, the far-right Alternative for Germany resisted the reforms.

(With inputs from agencies.)