A normally routine vote to appoint a top court judge has exploded into political drama. The centre-left SPD’s nominee was blocked by Conservative lawmakers — reportedly over her views on abortion. Talks broke down, and the vote was pulled entirely. Now the Bundestag president is urging parties to reflect and find common ground. But this moment reveals two big shifts: 1. The Conservative leadership may be losing control of its own ranks — bad news for coalition stability. 2. And more