The approvals will clear the way for the European Stability Mechanism, the euro area’s financial backstop, to set in motion the first payout in time for Greece to meet a 3.2 billion-euro payment to the European Central Bank Thursday.
The vote removes a key hurdle in providing new loans to heavily indebted Greece and will keep the country from defaulting on its debts in as little as 24 hours. Money from privatization efforts could also reduce the amount of loans needed.
Some MPs suspect that the deal could lead to part of Greece’s large debt being written off, with European Union taxpayers having to foot the bill.
“We are certain to encounter problems in the coming years but I trust we will be able to tackle them”, he added.
Yet Chancellor Angela Merkel still faces considerable skepticism in her conservative parliamentary group.
But the wide margin of approval Wednesday, by a tally of 453-113, with 18 abstentions, attested to the chancellor’s hold on power and, especially, the influence of her popular hard-line finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, one of Greece’s toughest critics. The Bundestag is scheduled for voting on Wednesday (19 August) to approve the euro 86billion bailout package.
Four weeks ago, 60 CDU-CSU members rejected launching the bailout negotiations after six months of acrimonious talks that almost resulted in Greece crashing out of the eurozone. Sixty of the 311 conservative lawmakers voted “no” or abstained – fewer than some in her party had feared.
The package, worth €86 billion, will be disbursed in installments spread out over the next three years. But he has said accepting creditor demands for yet more reforms was the only way to ensure his country remains in the eurozone, which opinion polls have shown the vast majority of his population wants. Germany’s was the largest contributor to the two previous Greek bailouts. Merkel’s coalition partner, the Social Democrats, and the opposition Greens also backed the deal.
Support from the Dutch prime minister’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy had been in doubt going into today’s debate in The Hague.
He also reiterated the German view that it is imperative for the global Monetary Fund to stay on board.
Ever since the Syriza-led coalition assumed Greek office in eight months ago, the bailout package and economy measures have been rattling the government.
It was the seventh Bundestag vote on aid for Greece in the last five years.
“If Greece stands by its obligations and the program is completely and resolutely implemented, then the Greek economy can grow again”, he said. “The opportunity is there”.
The government’s U-turn on pre-election promises to secure its new bailout has sparked a rebellion within Tsipras’ governing left-wing Syriza party, increasing the possibility of early elections being called as early as next month.
In the Netherlands, lawmakers interrupted their summer recess to debate the Dutch government’s support for the Greek bailout.
“There is no guarantee that all of this will work and there can always be doubts”, he said.