German government and opposition parties agree to amend the constitution to protect the Supreme Court, newspaper reports

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany's centre-left ruling coalition and the main conservative opposition have agreed on a bill to protect the Supreme Court, the Rheinische Post newspaper said, amid growing concerns about the strength of the far-right party AfD. It was reported on Thursday. party.

Anti-establishment nationalist parties are already under state surveillance on suspicion of being extremists and anti-constitutional. The AfD rejects claims that it is undemocratic, arguing that the constitutional court, appointed by parliament, is biased and has close ties to the government.

The AfD has filed more than 20 lawsuits in the Supreme Court alleging violations of its rights, according to a Reuters analysis of data revealed last week, and party critics say the tactic is partly due to the rule of law. It is claimed that the purpose is to weaken the

According to a report in Rheinische Post, the 12-page bill would incorporate the powers of the Federal Constitutional Court into the Constitution, with the following sentence enshrining its independence:

“Decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court are binding on the constitutional organs of the federal and state governments and on all courts and authorities.”

According to the newspaper, the law will also specify the process by which judges are selected through both houses of Congress, their term of office, and age limits.