Merkel’s eurozone policies under increasing pressure

GERMANY’S Angela Merkel faced mounting domestic criticism of her eurozone policies yesterday, with the Bundesbank slamming an anti-crisis package she agreed in Brussels last month anda senior ally warning he would vote againstkey parts of it.

Despite public reassurances from Merkel over the weekend that she would not bow to pressure from European partners and financial markets to agree to joint eurozone bonds, there were signs of growing unease at her policy course from within her conservative camp.

Shortly after returning from an official trip to the Balkans this evening, she is due to attend a special meeting of lawmakers from her parliamentary bloc, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), to answer questions from Bundestag members.