German Constitutional Court green-lights early elections call
{{date|August 25, 2005}}
{{Germanelection2005}}
The German federal Constitutional Court, the [[w:Bundesverfassungsgericht|Bundesverfassungsgericht]], has dismissed the complaints by two Members of the [[w:Bundestag|Bundestag]] against the dissolving of the parliament and removed the last obstacle on the road to early elections on September 18th.
[[Image:Karlsruhe bundesverfassungsgericht.jpg|thumb|left|The Bundesverfassungsgericht in [[w:Karlsruhe|Karlsruhe]]]]
Jelena Hoffmann from chancellor [[w:Gerhard Schröder|Gerhard Schröder]]'s [[w:Social Democratic Party of Germany|Socialdemocrats]] and Werner Schulz from the [[w:Alliance '90/The Greens|Greens]], which are also members of the government, claimed that the loss of confidence by [[Schröder loses motion of confidence|Schröder on July 1st]] was orchestrated and that President Horst Köhler had therefore no right to [[German president dissolves parliament; elections in September|dissolve the Bundestag on July 21st]].

The majority of the court, voting 7:1, disagreed with that assessment. It ruled, that Schröder's declaration, saying he does not have a reliable majority in parliament for his reform programme, is "plausible" and added that the Constitution grants the chancellor wide freedom in that matter.

Representatives of all major parties have welcomed the decision.

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,371352,00.html
|title=Verfassungsgericht macht Weg für Neuwahlen frei
|author=
|pub=Der Spiegel
|date=August 25, 2005}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4181468.stm
|title=Judges back early German election
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=August 25, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.tagesschau.de/aktuell/meldungen/0,1185,OID4657342_NAV_REF1,00.html
|title=Karlsruhe gibt grünes Licht für Neuwahl
|author=
|pub=ARD
|date=August 25, 2005}}

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[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Constitution of Germany]]

[[de:Bundesverfassungsgericht gibt Weg für Neuwahlen frei]]
[[ja:ドイツ憲法裁判所、選挙にゴーサイン]]
The German federal Constitutional Court, the Bundesverfassungsgericht, has dismissed the complaints by two Members of the Bundestag against the dissolving of the parliament and removed the last obstacle on the road to early elections on September 18th.
Karlsruhe
Jelena Hoffmann from chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Socialdemocrats and Werner Schulz from the Greens, which are also members of the government, claimed that the loss of confidence by Schröder on July 1st was orchestrated and that President Horst Köhler had therefore no right to dissolve the Bundestag on July 21st.

The majority of the court, voting 7:1, disagreed with that assessment. It ruled, that Schröder's declaration, saying he does not have a reliable majority in parliament for his reform programme, is "plausible" and added that the Constitution grants the chancellor wide freedom in that matter.

Representatives of all major parties have welcomed the decision.

*

*
Germany Politics and conflicts Constitution of Germany