Chancellor Angela Merkel defended to parliament in
Berlin her stance at a tough two-day European summit, ahead of a vote
Friday on key parts of Europe's plan for combating the region's
long-running debt crisis.
Merkel told parliament that strict conditions would apply to any
assistance provided by the permanent euro bailout fund, the European
Stablity Mechanism, after she was forced at the summit to agree to
provisions for the ESM to grant direct aid to troubled eurozone
banks.
Merkel said parliamentary approval of Europe's fiscal pact on
budget discipline and the creation of the ESM would be an important
signal of Germany's "determination and solidity in overcoming the
euro debt crisis and that Europe is our future."
