Greece debt crisis: Germany's Bundestag agrees on third bailout deal with impressive majority

The German parliament, the Bundestag, has agreed to the third bailout package for Greece, which is worth €86bn (£61bn, $95bn) and is sent to the country by the European Stability Mechanism. An impressive majority of 454 out of 585 members of the Bundestag agreed with the terms of the bailout on 19 August.

The agreement was reached a day before Greece's repayment deadline to the European Central Bank, on 20 August. "The decision on another bailout package for Greece does not fall lightly," Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble said, according to German newspaper die Welt.

The opposition mainly came from conservative party members as even Schaeuble, who has been a strong player against Greece in the past, urged the MPs to vote yes to the bailout deal.

"Of course, after the experience of the last years and months there is no guarantee that everything will work and it is permissible to have doubts," Schaeuble said. "But in view of the fact that the Greek parliament has already passed a large part of the measures it would be irresponsible to not use the opportunity for a new start in Greece."

The vote has been dubbed the "last hurdle" for the bailout package to be sent to Greece, as Germany is a big player in the eurozone, holding the biggest economy. In the Netherlands, though, the debate on Greece has only just started in parliament.

Controversial anti-EU and anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, the leader of the Freedom party, called Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte a "Pinocchio" because of his alleged false promises regarding the stance on Greece. Wilders said in the debate: "And who is standing at the ready to transfer money to Greece tomorrow? The Pinocchio of the Hague. His nose is reaching Athens by now."

Other parties such as D66, have defended the Bailout deal, pointing at Germany as an example of trust in the Greek government. Alexander Pechtold, parliamentary leader of D66, urgedChristian Democratic Appeal leader Sybrand Buma to look at fellow European Christian Democrat parties such as Angela Merkel's CDU.

In the Dutch parliament, the ruling parties VVD and PvdA as well as D66 and independent MP Norbert Klein, have expressed they are in favour of the bailout deal, which would add up to a majority of 89 out of 150 votes in the parliament.