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 for which she has pledged her support.



"The FDP remains clearly focused on a pro-European stance," party leader Philipp Rösler 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. Germany is expected to contribute 190 billion euros ($248 billion) of the fund's total 500 billion euros.



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.

Bank-bencher Frank Schäffler initiated the vote

Party under pressure



The vote was seen as a referendum on Rösler's ability to hold his fractious party together as well as the cohesiveness of Merkel's coalition.



The FDP joined Merkel's conservatives in a coalition government in 2009 after winning nearly 15 percent of the vote. Since then, squabbling and a series of unpopular stances and missteps have eaten away at their popularity. The party now regularly polls below 5 percent, the minimum required to hold seats in the German parliament.



On Wednesday one of the FDP's top officials, general secretary Christian Lindner, unexpectedly quit. He said he wanted to "make possible a new dynamic," putting more pressure on Rösler.



Rösler only took over the post from longtime FDP leader and Germany's current foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, this past May after Westerwelle took the fall for regional election losses.



After the vote, Westerwelle congratulated Rösler on his "success" in the vote. "The FDP is staying on the course of European integration," said Westerwelle. "That's good news for Germany, for Europe and for the FDP."



Author: Holly Fox (AP, dpa)

Editor: Martin Kuebler