Germany’s parliament has backed a third Greek bailout following a heated debate in the Bundestag, despite widespread misgivings over whether the country will manage to implement reforms in return for money.
Following three hours of lively debate, 453 voted in favour of the €86bn rescue package, while 113 voted against it and 18 MPs abstained.
Live German MPs approve third Greek bailout, Dutch slam ‘six months of chaos’ – live
The German Bundestag is expected to approve €86bn bailout, paving the way for Athens to meet debt deadlines.
A total of 63 MPs of Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU conservative alliance rebelled against the government despite warnings that there would be consequences if they failed to toe the party line. Three conservative MPs were among those who abstained.
The result is a blow to Merkel, amounting to three more than the number who rebelled during a similar vote in July. It is far fewer, however, than the 120 that it was suggested might have voted against the government.
Absent from the chamber altogether were 47 politicians, with many said by colleagues to have deliberately chosen to stay away, rather than be forced to vote no and risk being accused of disloyalty towards Merkel. Of the 47 were from the CDU/CSU, and 16 from the SPD.
The Bundestag’s approval now paves the way for €13bn to be paid to Athens on Thursday to cover outstanding bills. A further €10bn will be put aside at the European stability mechanism, to be used to strengthen capital in Greek banks.
Bundestag observers said, notwithstanding that the vote was held during the summer holiday and with some MPs either ill or unable to return from far-flung places, never had so few voted in such an important vote. It was a sign of how controversial the topic has been, they added.
Addressing the parliament on behalf of the government, the finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, who until a few weeks ago was calling for a temporary exit of Greece from the euro, appealed to parliamentarians to vote in favor of the bailout, the third such deal in five years.
Merkel did not participate in the debate, apparently to avoid the vote becoming a decision on her leadership, even though the Greek crisis and her chancellorship are now arguably inextricably intertwined. Instead she sat in the chamber, nodding, laughing and talking to fellow MPs before casting her vote and swiftly departing with her entire cabinet for a business trip to Brazil.
