German MPs vote to safeguard top court from ‘extremists’

BERLIN: German lawmakers approved measures on Thursday to protect the country´s constitutional court from possible future attempts by extremist parties to limit its independence.

MPs took the step at a time the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is polling at second place ahead of February 23 elections.

Under the new rules, the total number of judges at the top court is set at 16 -- comprising two panels of eight -- who will serve 12-year terms and retire at 68. To cement that structure, a two-thirds majority will now be needed in both houses of parliament to push through any changes.

The new measures were agreed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz´s Social Democrats, the conservative CDU/CSU alliance as well as the Greens and liberal Free Democrats.

Lawmakers cited the threat posed by the AfD and controversial judicial reforms in Poland and Hungary as reasons to try to future-proof the court´s independence.

A total of 600 deputies backed the package with only 69 voting against, including most AfD lawmakers and MPs from the far-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).

The measures needed a two-thirds majority as they will amend Germany´s Basic Law, the de facto constitution. They still require approval by the upper house.