AlHijjah 17, 1432, Nov 13, 2011, SPA -- German government ministers from a beleaguered junior coalition party sought to steal the limelight from euro sceptic rebels at a weekend conference and convince Chancellor Angela Merkel they can be a reliable partner, Reuters reported. The Free Democrats (FDP), who have suffered humiliating regional defeats and risk dropping out of parliament altogether at the next national polls, are riven by an internal referendum on whether to back a permanent bail out fund for the euro zone. Economy Minister Philipp Roesler, the fresh-faced 38-year-old who became party leader in May in a so far unsuccessful bid to restore the FDP's fortunes, urged some 700 faithful gathered in Frankfurt to prove the party's ability to govern. "Let's put an end to the sadness, an end to the tears. It is time to put away the handkerchiefs," he said. Failure to back the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) could tear a rift between the FDP and Merkel's conservatives. Roesler said the party had to show it was about more than simply calling for lower taxes. He took a tough line on the euro zone debt crisis, calling for harsh sanctions for states that flout euro zone rules, but threw his backing behind the ESM. Rebels have mounted a referendum among the party's 64,000 members on whether it should support the ESM. Results are due on Dec. 17 and an indecisive vote could exacerbate the FDP's slide, although the vote is non-binding and would not stop the party's deputies from backing the new bailout fund in parliament. -- SPA
