BERLIN (MNI) – Germany’s Free Democrats, the junior partner in
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government coalition, on Friday backed the
decision by the ECB that governments first need to apply for assistance
from bailout funds and agree to associated conditions before the central
bank will consider intervening in their bond markets.

FDP parliamentary leader Rainer Bruederle told German ARD
television in an interview that “it is right to tie [ECB action] to
conditions…insofar [ECB president Mario] Draghi has indeed set a
policy in motion which one can accept.”

Still, Bruederle, a former Economics Minister, added that “one must
be wary that a discussion will be started to bring down public deficits
by printing money.”

He stressed that “this is not the mandate of the ECB; it has solely
one mandate, namely to assure the stability of our currency.”

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

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