German bishops' rep warns of post-electoral 'political paralysis'

Published: 2005-09-21

OXFORD, England (CNS) -- A spokeswoman for the German bishops warned of "political paralysis" after parliamentary elections resulted in a dead heat between the country's two largest parties. "Our politicians have to find a way to bridge the gap -- this is crucially important now," said Martina Hohns, spokeswoman for the German bishops' conference. "But it seems there are not many opportunities at present for clear, common-sense solutions. After this election, no one sees any way of forming a government with a strong majority." The Sept. 18 elections to Germany's Bundestag left the Christian Democratic Union and governing Social Democrats both claiming victory, with 35.2 percent and 34.3 percent of the vote, respectively. In a Sept. 20 telephone interview with Catholic News Service, Hohns said the bishops' conference was debating the situation at its Sept. 19-23 meeting in Fulda, Germany, and would urge politicians to work together on pressing issues such as reforms to federal structure. She said bishops feared "political paralysis and stagnation" and would encourage Germans to regain "trust and confidence in the future."

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