Sidelined

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed Thursday that European governments should approve new powers for the eurozone's rescue fund as quickly as possible.

"What we want to see is governments implementing the promises they have already made," said Merkel, who faces anger in her own party that parliament's role in key decision making has been sidelined.

Some members of Merkel's center-right coalition government are threatening to oppose the plans to boost the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) when they go before the Bundestag in a vote at the end of September. A small group of lawmakers is concerned that the lower house of parliament has little control over Merkel's European policy.

Wolfgang Bosbach is the most prominent of the rebels and one of the most respected members of the ruling CDU.

"If we've already agreed to something on a European level, then the German parliament has absolutely no alternative but to say yes. There is no other option."

"So I ask myself why we in the German Bundestag, in the parliamentary parties, in committees, bother to make so much effort in consultation," Bosbach told German public television.

Breaking ranks

Merkel has said she is confident she will get a majority backing for the plans from her own coalition, even though the German media have reported that about 20 members of parliament are likely to break ranks.

The vote could be tight. Merkel's coalition of her own Christian Democrats (CDU), its Bavarian sister party the CSU and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) occupies 330 out of 620 seats in parliament.

The opposition Social Democrats and Greens have already said they will vote for the plan, so its passage is more or less certain.

But if enough conservatives rebel and Merkel is forced to rely on opposition parties to pass the legislation, she could face a crisis of confidence.

Nils Diederich, a retired professor of political science at the Free University in Berlin and former veteran Social Democrat parliamentarian, says Merkel will be keen to get her coalition on side and avoid any situation in which she might have to call new elections.

"This could crystallize the basis of an opposition group against Merkel," Diederich told Deutsche Welle, "and then we would be in a whole new situation, because we would be looking at the possible end of the current coalition government."

The rebel, Bosbach, makes it clear he is not questioning Merkel's position as chancellor. He just doesn't want to rubber-stamp aid for heavily indebted countries like Greece, if that action could cost future generations dearly.

"The chancellor has my backing, the government has my backing … I'm simply convinced that in this instance we're making a mistake," he said.

"This is about a fundamental question for the future, for our children and for our children's children. We're already leaving mountains of debt for them to deal with, and we're adding huge risks to that."

Pushing for ratification

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has offered his assurances to parliamentarians that they would retain their power over budget decisions.

"We are all part of the parliamentary system. The federal budget law isn't up for discussion. The federal budget law is the fundamental right of our parliamentary democracy, and no one can take it away - certainly not the government, and as finance minister I don't even want to take it away."

In July, leaders of the 17-member eurozone agreed in Brussels to boost the effective size of the EFSF to 440 billion euros ($635 billion) and to give it extra powers, including a potential role in helping to recapitalize banks.

There are fears that if German parliamentarians insist on having a greater say in the EFSF, other countries will do the same, delaying the whole process and limiting the fund's ability to act swiftly to save stricken states. Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have promised ratification by the end of the month.

Author: Joanna Impey
Editor: Martin Kuebler