German Chancellor Angela Merkel steps down the stairs of her plane upon arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
July 10, 2012 - 3:42 AM
KARLSRUHE, Germany - Germany's constitutional Court is preparing to hear arguments from people opposed to the country joining the Eurozone's bailout fund and new treaty limiting debt.
Opponents plan to argue Tuesday the bailout and debt pacts infringe upon Parliament's right to say how taxpayer money is spent.
Parliament has already ratified the treaties but President Joachim Gauck has held off signing the ratification into law while the court hears the objections. The court is being asked to issue a temporary order blocking Gauck from signing while it considers the case over several weeks.
Under the treaties, Germany would join the European Stability Mechanism bailout fund for troubled countries backed by taxpayers' money. It would also adopt the EU fiscal compact, under which 25 countries would enshrine strict debt limits into national laws.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012