The end of September saw a few of us ‘Ausländer’ frogs here in Stuttgart having a crash course in German politics as the country went to the ballot boxes. The first barrier to our understanding of the election was, as with most local events, language. And so we entrusted translation to our native colleagues, gathering for a Sunday night Political Grill to catch the Live-stream vote count and some good frog hospitality.
 
As the evening progressed, it was confirmed that in politics, whatever the country, language is not the only barrier to understanding.

In Germany there are many potential outcomes for leadership that may arise after the elections. Coalition rule exists if no single party wins by a majority vote - rather than a ‘first past the post’ system. Coalition combinations depend on the level of top party dominance and thus the situation becomes more complex.

So, there were some cultural differences to understand.

With language and cultural differences covered, the main barrier still remained –one which German voters were also experiencing – understanding