Investigation into Saskia Ludwig's doctoral thesis has been initiated by the university
Plagiarism Allegations Against CDU Bundestag Member Saskia Ludwig
Saskia Ludwig, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the German Bundestag, is currently under investigation for plagiarism in her doctoral thesis at the University of Potsdam. The university announced an initial suspicion of plagiarism in her thesis and has initiated an investigation [2][5].
The investigation was triggered by journalist Jochen Zenthofer, who discovered numerous unacknowledged text borrowings in Ludwig's dissertation [6]. The examination of the dissertation was conducted by Zenthofer, who is also a freelance employee of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung".
According to the preliminary examination, Ludwig's work from 2007 at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the Uni Potsdam contains at least 86 unacknowledged borrowings on the first 113 pages [4]. The university will check the requested text passages again, the time axes of the texts, and any information brought from outside, including plagiarism hunters [1].
The investigation and subsequent checks may take several months to complete [2]. As of July 29, 2025, the investigation is still ongoing, and no publicly available outcome regarding whether the allegations have been confirmed or refuted has been reported [2][5].
Ludwig has been a vocal critic of SPD constitutional judge candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. She has demanded that Brosius-Gersdorf step down from her position until plagiarism allegations against her are fully clarified [7]. The election of two new judges for the Federal Constitutional Court was temporarily removed from the agenda in the Bundestag due to plagiarism allegations against both Brosius-Gersdorf and Ludwig [7].
Ludwig herself has been a CDU state chairman from 2010 to 2012 and a member of the state parliament from 2004 to 2025 prior to her role in the Bundestag [3]. She completed her doctoral thesis in 2008, and the title of her dissertation is "The outsourcing of tasks in state-owned enterprises in the state of Brandenburg and other selected federal states" [3].
A brief expert opinion cleared Ludwig of the charge of scientific misconduct [2]. However, the investigation into her plagiarism allegations is still ongoing, and the outcome remains uncertain.
References:
[1] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus171150429/Plagiat-Untersuchung-an-Saskia-Ludwigs-Dissertation-geht-weiter.html
[2] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/plagiat-untersuchung-an-saskia-ludwigs-dissertation-geht-weiter/27234310.html
[3] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/plagiat-untersuchung-an-saskia-ludwigs-dissertation-geht-weiter-a-894a5e8e-1821-41d7-9b6e-2438c1e2f7d9
[4] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-07/saskia-ludwig-plagiat-untersuchung-dissertation-universitaet-potsdam
[5] https://www.rbb-online.de/politik/plagiat-untersuchung-an-saskia-ludwigs-dissertation-geht-weiter-a-1202.html
[6] https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/deutschland/plagiat-vorwurf-gegen-saskia-ludwig-17115063.html
[7] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/plagiat-vorwurf-gegen-saskia-ludwig-und-frauke-brosius-gersdorf-heizt-debatte-in-bundestag-a-894a5e8e-1821-41d7-9b6e-2438c1e2f7d9
- The ongoing investigation into Saskia Ludwig's doctoral thesis at the University of Potsdam, focused on plagiarism allegations, has prompted discussions about the importance of adhering to community and employment policies in educational institutions and political spheres.
- The debate surrounding plagiarism allegations against Saskia Ludwig and Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf has highlighted the need for stringent education-and-self-development programs that improve understanding of politics, ethics, and general news, especially in leadership roles.
