Bundestag Greek drama
The thing itself has already been decided. On Wednesday, the German parliament will approve the third bailout package for Greece. The government negotiated hard: Chancellor Merkel in July at the EU summit, and her finance minister last Friday. To a large extent, they got what they wanted - a bailout in exchange for reform, with tight controls. Both knew it was the only way to get German parliamentarians on board. They paid a high price, because Germany's reputation suffered. Our country is once again being seen as an uncomfortably dominant force.
Vacation-time vote
That's the impression left on parliamentarians who didn't spend their vacation time at home in their constituencies but instead traveled abroad, and who are now coming back to Berlin for the special session. It may persuade some to reconsider whether they really plan to vote against the bailout. It's the opposing voices that are making this vote interesting to the German public. Not all the opposing voices, of course, but rather those in Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, the Christian Democrats (CDU). Their number increases with each loan to Greece on which parliament has had to vote. In 2010, four CDU parliamentarians voted against the first bailout. In 2012, they numbered 13, and in February of this year, that number rose to 29. In July, 60 party members voted against the plan. The parliamentary group leader responded by upping the pressure, which is nothing unusual. But this time, the pressure was public - something which was both awkward and unnecessary.
A question of conscience
The uprising of the lawmakers, and many of their constituents, was great. The constitution, after all, only requires that MPs answer to their conscience. Voters absolutely support this - as long as the conscience of their elected representative mirrors their own. On the question of the Greece deal, it was pretty clear: 57 percent of Germans are against the bailout deal that's up for approval, while more than 80 percent don't think that Greece will live up to its end of the bargain. No wonder that politicians who hear this among the electorate start to worry. And so they should. They should take the time to think about what the right decision is. If they notice that they are lacking the necessary expertise, they should act as they would were it any other issue, and join the experts among the parliamentary group.
No 'make or break moment' for Merkel
But the temptation to present themselves to voters as the immovable hero may prove to be too great for some MPs. It's a nice opportunity to rebel. Unlike the damage to Germany's image abroad and the aid for Greece, it costs practically nothing. The majority of the governing coalition is so big that a few more dissenters in the ranks should easily be absorbed. Turning this into a litmus test for the CDU, or - moreover - a "make or break moment" for Angela Merkel, would be out of touch with reality. After the latest positive parliamentary decision on Greece, the CDU's approval ratings went up by one point to 42 percent. The fate of the German government certainly does not hang on this vote.
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