'Crisis Could Change Germany More than Reunification'

[marmar]

from Der Spiegel:



Germany's Constitutional Court has asked the country's president to delay the ratification of the permanent ESM euro bailout fund and the EU fiscal pact. German commentators accuse the chancellor of trying to push the legislation through parliament too quickly.

Offering a brief boost to opponents of the long-term euro bailout program and the planned European Union fiscal pact, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court on Thursday asked the country's president to hold off on signing the legislation into law if the two bills are approved as expected by the country's legislative chambers next week.

President Joachim Gauck's decision to respect the court's request means that Germany will not be able to ratify the European Stability Mechanism by July 1, which Chancellor Angela Merkel had hoped would send a strong message to the markets. Some opposition politicians are even calling the development a "slap" in the chancellor's face.

Germany's Left Party and former Justice Minister Herta Däubler-Gmelin of the opposition center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) have both announced their intentions to challenge the ratification of the treaties after they are approved by the federal parliament, the Bundestag, and the Bundesrat, the legislative chamber that represents the German states, in votes planned for next week. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-press-review-on-delay-to-ratification-of-permanent-euro-bailout-a-840403.html