As workers in Greece prepare for a general strike today (15 June), EU finance ministers yesterday night failed to reconcile a German-led push for bondholders to share part of the cost of a new Greek aid package, amid warnings from the European Central Bank (ECB) that any coercive solutions could unleash a new wave of contagion.
"There has been no result," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told reporters after talks in Brussels which ended late yesterday. Eurozone finance ministers agreed to meet again on 19 June.
Ministers did concede that some progress was made despite the lack of agreement. "We are very close to an agreement with all private partners. But there must be a balance: a real effort on Greece's part - help from the IMF, the euro zone and the European Union; and participation of the private sector," said Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders.
