Merkel's likely Greek aid win won't halt pressure

BERLIN (AFP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to rally German lawmakers behind a Greek rescue deal in a vote on Monday but faces opposition within her coalition against Germany stumping up any more aid.

For the seventh time in less than two years, the 620 MPs in the German Bundestag lower house of parliament are due to meet in a special session from 1400 GMT (10pm Singapore time) to give the greenlight to Europe's latest plan to fight the crisis.

The package, hammered out by euro zone finance ministers to give Greece a further 130 billion euros (S$219 billion) to help avert a March debt default, looks set to pass with a big majority as the two main opposition parties say they will support it.

Despite some criticism that the deal falls short on ensuring Greek economic growth, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens plan to back the plan as they did in two previous euro zone bailout votes.