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Monday, May. 21, 2012 |  Syndicate content

Merkel faces hefty rebellion in Greek aid vote

Page last updated at 08:26 GMT, Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 13:26 EST

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Reuters:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel may struggle to win a parliamentary vote next week's on Greece's bailout without the humiliation of relying on opposition party support, lawmakers in her centre-right coalition said on Wednesday.

Highlighting how unpopular aid for Greece is in Germany, the biggest contributor to the 130 billion euro bailout, several lawmakers from Merkel's conservatives and her junior partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), said they planned to oppose the package.

There is little doubt that the Bundestag lower house will pass the package, agreed by euro zone finance ministers in the early hours of Tuesday, due to the backing of the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens.

But it would be a blow to Merkel if she has to rely on the opposition in Monday's vote. The parliamentary budget committee is due to discuss the package on Friday.

With an eye on voters who are sceptical about another bailout, Germany insisted on tough conditions to be attached to the financial rescue, including stricter supervision of Greek reforms and a special escrow account for bailout funds.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Greece-World News