German Parliament to vote on Greek bailout deal; approval expected

Germany's Parliament will vote on a four-month bailout extension for Greece with a large majority of lawmakers in Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc signaling their backing.

Volker Kauder, caucus leader of Merkel's bloc, said an "overwhelming majority" of his lawmakers will back the agreement in Tuesday's vote. Merkel's coalition with the center-left Social Democrats, who are solidly behind the deal, has four-fifths of the 631 parliamentary seats.

Key creditor Germany has advocated unpopular spending cuts and insisted that aid must come with strings attached. Comments by Greek officials casting doubt on privatization deals and raising the possibility of further debt relief have irked some in Germany.

"We will vote yes, but we expect Greece to keep to what it has pledged," Kauder said Monday.