German MPs have voted in favour of increasing the country's commitments to the European Financial Stability Facility as part of an expansion of the bailout fund.
The decision, approved by a majority of 523 to 85 with three abstentions, will see Germany's guarantees for the fund rise from €123bn to €211bn. Chancellor Angela Merkel also retained her absolute majority in securing 315 votes from members of her coalition. The vote had been seen as a key hurdle in the eurozone's attempts to increase the fund's lending capacity from €250bn to €440bn, but markets were relatively unmoved by the decision. After an initial bounce of 1%, Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 were trading flat shortly after midday, with the FTSE 100 down 0.75% at 5,179. Att...
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