BERLIN: The German parliament passed a beefed-up rescue fund for stricken eurozone countries by a large majority on Thursday in a vote seen as crucial to stem financial market turmoil.
The vote before the Bundestag lower house on expanding the 440-billion-euro ($599 billion) bailout fund was also seen as a crucial test of Chancellor Angela Merkel's authority amid fears of a major backbench rebellion.
Among the 611 deputies present, 523 approved the measure, 85 voted against it and three abstained.
It was not immediately clear whether Merkel had had to rely on votes from opposition MPs to secure her majority, as an official headcount continued.
BERLIN: The German parliament passed a beefed-up rescue fund for stricken eurozone countries by a large majority on Thursday in a vote seen as crucial to stem financial market turmoil.
ReplyDeleteThe vote before the Bundestag lower house on expanding the 440-billion-euro ($599 billion) bailout fund was also seen as a crucial test of Chancellor Angela Merkel's authority amid fears of a major backbench rebellion.
Among the 611 deputies present, 523 approved the measure, 85 voted against it and three abstained.
It was not immediately clear whether Merkel had had to rely on votes from opposition MPs to secure her majority, as an official headcount continued.