BERLIN, April 20 (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, oppose any plans to rush approval of emergency aid for Greece through parliament by attaching it to another law.
A spokesman for Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Tuesday that support for Greece, which would need to be approved by the Bundestag lower house, could be pushed through quickly by linking it to a separate law that is ready for passage.
But Hans-Peter Friedrich, the CSU parliamentary floor leader, said he was unaware of such a plan, known as an 'omni-bus law', and signalled that his party would oppose it.
'We're not going anywhere with omni-buses,' Friedrich said.
He added that the CSU believed aid for Greece should only be granted as 'a last resort.'
Greece is moving closer to activating an emergency aid package by seeking to clarify details of how help from euro zone states and the International Monetary Fund would work if needed.
Germany long resisted pressure to agree to a bailout deal, partly due to fierce public hostility, but last weekend euro zone finance ministers hammered out a package which could be used if necessary.
Schaeuble said at the weekend Germany would not need a supplementary budget to pay for the aid package to Greece.
(Reporting by Thorsten Severin, writing by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Tony Austin) Keywords: EUROZONE GERMANY/SCHAEUBLE (Reuters messaging: erik.kirschbaum.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
A spokesman for Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Tuesday that support for Greece, which would need to be approved by the Bundestag lower house, could be pushed through quickly by linking it to a separate law that is ready for passage.
But Hans-Peter Friedrich, the CSU parliamentary floor leader, said he was unaware of such a plan, known as an 'omni-bus law', and signalled that his party would oppose it.
'We're not going anywhere with omni-buses,' Friedrich said.
He added that the CSU believed aid for Greece should only be granted as 'a last resort.'
Greece is moving closer to activating an emergency aid package by seeking to clarify details of how help from euro zone states and the International Monetary Fund would work if needed.
Germany long resisted pressure to agree to a bailout deal, partly due to fierce public hostility, but last weekend euro zone finance ministers hammered out a package which could be used if necessary.
Schaeuble said at the weekend Germany would not need a supplementary budget to pay for the aid package to Greece.
(Reporting by Thorsten Severin, writing by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Tony Austin) Keywords: EUROZONE GERMANY/SCHAEUBLE (Reuters messaging: erik.kirschbaum.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.