While the extension of the Greek bailout programme is stirring controversy, both in Athens and in Berlin, it is expected to be approved both by the German Bundestag and by the Greek Parliament.
In a test ballot today, one day before the official vote in the Bundestag on Friday, an overwhelming majority of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives supported an extension of the Greek bailout.
During the meeting with lawmakers, Germany’s finance minister,Wolfgang Schaeuble said that recent remarks by the Greek finance minister had strained European solidarity and that a bailout extension for Athens could be ditched if the country failed to stick to its promises, according to participants.
Lawmakers speaking on condition of anonymity saidSchaeublesaid Greek Finance MinisterYanisVaroufakis“strains the solidarity of European partners” in interviews where he has resurrected talk of a debt haircut forGreeceand cast doubt on its ability to repay its international debts.
There were 22 lawmakers of theCDU/CSU conservative parties out of a total of 311 that opposed the extension and five abstained.
In their own test vote, the SPD Social Democrats, the junior partners in the ruling coalition, voted unanimously for the extension.
In Greece, where the Eurogroup agreement has stirred controversy, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras discussed the issue yesterday during a 10 hour meeting with his Party's ( SYRIZA) Parliamentary Group. Although the agreement was strongly criticised. Many deputies asked the Prime Minister not to bring the agreement to the Parliament for a vote so that they will not have to vote against it.
In an unprecedented move, Tsipras asked his parliamentary group to take a vote on the extension. Out of 120 deputies present, up to 7 voted against, including the president of the Greek Parliament, Zoi Konstantopoulou, while 15 abstained.
Tsipras is waiting to see the results of the vote in the German Bundestag on Friday before he decides how he will handle the situation. During the weekend, the SYRIZA central Committee will discuss the issue, after 60 of its members asked for an emergency session.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/extension-agreement-stirs-controversy-germany-and-greece