The Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany recently held a party congress in Berlin to address its poor performance in the Bundestag elections. Lars Klingbeil was re-elected as SPD chairman with 64.9% of the vote, the lowest in the party's history, indicating internal dissatisfaction and weakening his position within the coalition government. Bärbel Bas was elected co-chair with 95% support, succeeding Saskia Esken. The new leadership faces the challenge of rebuilding the SPD amid low polling numbers and internal tensions, including opposition from the youth wing (Jusos) against any form of conscription. Concurrently, the Bundestag was scheduled to elect three new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court, including SPD-nominated Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, a legal scholar known for her progressive stances such as support for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, a liberal abortion policy, a gender-inclusive constitution, and advocating for a ban on the far-right AfD party. Her nomination has sparked significant controversy and resistance within the coalition, particularly from the CDU/CSU union, leading to the postponement of the vote. Allegations of plagiarism against Brosius-Gersdorf were investigated and found to be unsubstantiated by a preliminary legal assessment. Despite this, opposition remains strong, with up to 60 CDU/CSU members reportedly intending to block her appointment. The SPD maintains its support for Brosius-Gersdorf, framing the controversy as a politically motivated campaign against her. The dispute has exposed fractures within the governing coalition, raising concerns about future cooperation and the politicization of the judiciary. Brosius-Gersdorf has publicly defended herself in media appearances, emphasizing the need for a factual debate and not ruling out withdrawing her candidacy. The impasse over the Constitutional Court appointments is seen as a critical test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government ahead of the summer recess.