Germany's far left averts potential government crisis over pensions bill

BERLIN, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Germany's opposition far-left Left party said it would abstain from voting on a contentious pensions package on Friday, likely indirectly securing its passage through parliament and saving Chancellor Friedrich Merz from a humiliating defeat.

The bill, which will keep the state pension at current levels until 2031, is a key pillar of the coalition deal between Merz's conservatives and his centre-left Social Democrat partner, who have just a slender governing majority of 12 votes.

But its passage in parliament had looked in doubt due to objections within the conservatives' youth faction, who argue it perpetuates a financially unsustainable system given an ageing population, simply leaving younger generations to foot the bill.

Heidi Reichinnek, parliamentary leader of the Left party, said it would abstain in order to protect pensioners, not to help the coalition, accusing the conservatives in particular of "playing power games on the back of millions".

“It won’t be because of us if the pension level fails to be stabilised," said Reichinnek, adding that maintaining state pension levels at 48% of the average wage was the "absolute minimum".

If the Left party's 64 lawmakers do abstain rather than oppose the bill, the coalition needs fewer votes to pass it - and need not worry about the young conservatives' potential 18 rebels who have yet to declare which way they will vote.

Its unsolicited help may have averted a government crisis but feeds a growing impression that Merz and his ideologically misaligned coalition cannot be counted on to pass key legislation.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Holger Hansen, Markus Wacket; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

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