Berlin accused of back-door deals in EU parliament

Graham Watson, leader of the European Parliament's Liberal Group, claims that Germany's 'grand coalition' government is undermining policy-making in the European Parliament, and played a key role in watering down laws to open up the EU's services market. The leaders of the European Parliament's two biggest groups - the European People's party and the Socialists - are both German, and Mr Watson claims they are under huge pressure to reach deals acceptable to their country's coalition government.