News / Brèves Back to previous selection / Retour à la sélection précédente Day of Shame: Bundestag Ratifies ESM and Fiscal Pact 29 June 2012 The German parliament, the Bundestag, ratified the Fiscal Pact and the ESM yesterday evening after a two-and-a-half-hour debate, which also featured passionate appeals by the opponents from all parties not to vote for the two laws. The ESM was passed 493-106 votes, with 5 abstentions; the Pact was passed 491-111, with 6 abstentions. Peter Danckert (Social Democrat), Peter Gauweiler (Christian Social Union), and Sahra Wagenknecht (Linke) announced legal complaints against the two laws, to be filed at the constitutional court tonight. Gauweiler — who had called for a referendum to be held on the two laws, because they interfere with the constitutionality of Germany — also made known that the Green Party group in the Bavarian state parliament (Landtag) will go to court against the Pact and ESM as well. The Bundesrat, the chamber of the 16 German states, was to debate and pass the two laws tonight as well, with an expected two-thirds majority.