The EFSF extension is too small to make a difference and it comes too late to calm the markets. But the debate made it abundantly clear that Germany is not prepared to go any further in saving the euro – neither through fiscal nor monetary measures.
Merkel was spared the humiliation of losing the support of her own coalition in the EFSF vote. In the end, only fifteen parliamentarians from the parties forming her government voted against the package. However, this was due to exerting enormous pressure on MPs. Merkel may have also benefitted from an embarrassing level of ignorance about the package. Many lawmakers simply did not know what they were voting on.