BERLIN (MNI) – Germany’s largest opposition party, the center-left
SPD, has signaled that it will vote next week in the Bundestag with the
government for the European aid to the Spanish banking sector.

SPD parliamentary whip Thomas Oppermann told Spiegel Online that
the “tough conditions” agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding for
Spain were good. “We like this because we want to take care that the
burden for German taxpayers stays as small as possible,” he said.

The Bundestag will vote on the fiscal aid for Spain next Thursday.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right CDU/CSU-FDP coalition controls a
majority of her own in the lower house and in principle does not depend
on the support of the opposition. Yet, in previous votes some members of
her coalition had voted against fiscal aid measures for ailing Eurozone
states. The opposition-controlled upper house, the Bundesrat
representing the 16 states, will not get to vote on the bill.

–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: M$X$$$,MGX$$$,M$$CR$,M$G$$$,M$S$$$]