The German government voted to send 500 German soldiers as part of the NATO operation in Macedonia yesterday, Derek Scally writes from Berlin. The proposal needs the approval of the parliament but a domestic row over military funding threatens next week's vote.
The left-wing faction of the Social Democrats and several Green Party members plan to vote against sending troops, leaving the government dependent on the opposition for a parliamentary majority.
But the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Liberals have made their support for German participation in the operation, conditional on an immediate cash injection of DM500 million (£200 million) to bring the Bundeswehr up to the levels demanded by NATO.
"If that isn't the case, we will keep our negative position," said Mr Friedrich Merz, parliamentary leader of the CDU.
Spending cuts left the Bundeswehr "stretched to breaking point" during their first peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo, according to Inspector Harald Kujat, head of the German military.Efforts to bring German military up to NATO levels have been hampered by DM20 billion military spending cuts.
The support of the liberal Free Democratic Party would be enough to pass the vote. They are more than willing to be amenable to the government ahead of next year's elections, but still have their concerns about Bundeswehr funding.
"I fear that in the areas of materials and equipment, the Bundeswehr does not have the means to fulfil future missions," said Mr Guenther Nolting, a defence specialist in the FDP.