Germany’s Free Democrats, the junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government coalition, on Friday backed the decision by the ECB that governments first need to apply for assistance from bailout funds and agree to associated conditions before the central bank will consider intervening in their bond markets. FDP parliamentary leader Rainer Bruederle told German ARD television in an interview that “it is right to tie [ECB action] to conditions…insofar [ECB president Mario] Draghi has indeed set a policy in motion which one can accept.” Still, Bruederle, a former Economics Minister, added that “one must be wary ... (full story)