 Whilst Article 146 had been expressly designed for the purpose of German reunification, it was apparent in 1990 that employing it would require a vastly longer and more complex process of negotiation - and one which would open up many political issues in West Germany, where constitutional reform (particularly to respond to changing economic circumstances) was a longstanding concern.Even without this to consider, East Germany was virtually prostrate economically and politically.With these factors in mind, it was decided to use the quicker process in Article 23.