April 11 (Bloomberg) -- Germany is prepared to give Greece loans at below-market interest rates, dropping its opposition to subsidies as European finance ministers meet to discuss the terms of a lifeline for the debt-stricken nation, a European government official said.
The loans would be priced above the rate charged by the International Monetary Fund, which would also participate in an EU-led rescue, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Such an arrangement would satisfy German demands that Greece shouldn’t be given subsidized loans, the person said. EU finance ministers will hold a press conference after a teleconference that starts at 2 p.m. in Brussels today.
German resistance to subsidized loans threatened to hold up efforts to agree on a rescue package for Greece, whose bonds plunged last week. With German Chancellor Angela Merkel balking at the use of taxpayers’ funds, her government has said that the EU should stick to a March 25 agreement that credit to Greece should be at “non-concessional” rates.
I wouldn't call this a bailout, but it still rewards bad behavior. In a sane world those who behave get the better deals, in this world Greece has been so fiscally irresponsible that they are actually getting a better deal then they deserve since the consequences for Europe as a whole are troubling. I suppose too big to fail applies for countries as well.
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