Berlin - The German parliamentary president, Mr Wolfgang Thierse, was forced to apologise yesterday for saying he would not rule out neo-Nazis entering government in the future, writes Derek Scally.
In a newspaper interview Mr Thierse was asked, given the transition of Mr Joschka Fischer from 1970s left-wing anarchist to German foreign minister, whether one of today's extreme-right skinheads might not one day become a government minister.
"It's conceivable that it might happen," he replied, prompting Jewish groups in Germany to accuse him of making neo-Nazis "acceptable".
Mr Thierse apologised yesterday, saying he "did not wish to see a neo-Nazi become a government minister".