Finnish threat leaves Greek talks on knife edge

Source: The Irish Times

Euro group talks in Brussels have run into difficulty after signals that eurosceptic populists in Finland’s ruling coalition will bring down the two-month-old government if Helsinki backs a third aid package for Greece.

Irish sources have said it was “increasingly difficult to reach common ground” as talks progressed in Brussels. Finnish opposition would prevent the euro group, meeting in Brussels, reaching a unanimous decision to open negotiations for a third Greek programe.

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Given the refusal of the Finns to back any third bailout in a parliamentary vote in Helsinki, liberal finance minister Alexander Stubb reportedly told his euro colleagues he could not agree to a third bailout as applied for by Athens. Government sources contacted in Finland declined to comment on the reports.

It as the second twist of the euro group meeting after reports that German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble has flagged a five-year Greek exit from the euro zone as one option for resolving the five-year crisis in the country.

Read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/finnish-threat-leaves-greek-talks-on-knife-edge-1.2282058