German court suspends key parliament committee

"The second senate of the Constitutional Court has decided ... that until a full decision is taken, the Bundestag's right of participation may not be replaced by the new committee,” the Court said in statement.

The move followed a complaint by two social democrat deputies that having a special committee - rather than the plenary or budget committee - take budget decisions is in breach of the country's constitution.

The Bundestag on Wednesday (26 October) decided the committee would oversee the €211 billion of German taxpayers money in the bail-out fund.

The committee - which operates behind closed doors - had been established in response to fears that lengthy parliamentary debate could see use of the bailout fund hindered.

Under the agreement, decisions are made either in the full 620-member parliament, the budget committee or this special committee according to their urgency or importance - with the fund able to buy bonds on the secondary market and provide aid to banks and struggling countries.

A court spokeswoman told Reuters that the court may reach a decision before the end of year.

"If those involved in the procedure are willing to forgo an oral trial, the Senate will decide before Christmas," she said.

If the court were to back the two complainants, it would likely mean that eurozone decision-making is slowed down as either the full budget committee or the parliament would have to be involved.

The fast-moving pace of the eurozone crisis as well as the huge sums of money involved have increasingly highlighted the tension between democratic process and the need to take quick decisions to appease anxious markets.

Democratic process

Several German MPs praised the temporary injunction by the court arguing that in order to ensure full democratic accountability, decisions need to be taken in the open and in full plenary.

Last month, the Germany's highest court ruled that members of the Bundestag should have more say over decisions involving use of the bailout fund, or European Financial Stability Facility.

This was translated into effect for the first time this week when German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought - and received - a negotiating mandate before she attended an important crisis summit in Brussels.

The German parliament's extra scrutiny - while giving the chancellor a bulwark for getting her wishes through at the EU level - is also likely to make EU decision-making yet more complicated.