Merkel's junior coalition partner votes to stick to pro-EU course

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sidestepped a threat to her leadership on Friday when euroskeptics in her junior coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), lost an internal vote on the permanent eurozone rescue fund she has pledged her support on.

"The FDP remains clearly focused on a pro-European stance," party leader Philipp R?sler said after the vote.
While only 44.2 percent of those who cast their ballots came out against the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the total number of votes was below the one third of all party members required to make the vote valid.
The ESM is to be set up next year as part of efforts by eurozone leaders to contain the bloc's debt crisis.
Officially the FDP has talked tough on the debt crisis but supported the fund.
Most Germans have accepted Merkel's approach of demanding fiscal reform from debt-saddled countries in exchange for bailout cash