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France's President Francois Hollande delivers a speech about public schools at the Sorbonne University in Paris October 9, 2012. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

France\'s Hollande wins left-wing backing on fiscal pact
France's Hollande wins left-wing backing on fiscal pact
Posted : Tuesday, 09 October 2012 11:37AM

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande achieved majority backing from his own Socialist bloc in parliament on Tuesday for Europe's fiscal discipline treaty and was spared having to rely on opposition votes.

A total of 282 left-wing votes in favor exceeded the 274 required for a majority, saving Hollande the embarrassment of having to depend on conservative lawmakers to ratify a fiscal pact seen key to pulling the euro zone out of crisis.

A small but noisy revolt within Hollande's Socialist bloc against the treaty saw 20 Socialist Party lawmakers vote against and nine abstain. Of the 17 Greens Party lawmakers in a parliamentary alliance with the Socialists and other left-wing parties, 12 voted against and two abstained.

(Reporting By Emile Picy; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Paul Taylor)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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