19/08/2011
By Ilonka Oudenampsen
After Finland’s collateral deal with Greece yesterday, four other member states have expressed interest in a similar agreement.
Finland said it is open to broadening the arrangements, after it struck the collateral deal with the indebted Southern European country in return for backing more financial aid.
Austria and the Netherlands, which also both have a AAA credit rating, have said to want the same arrangements, while Slovenia and Slovakia will most likely strike a deal as well.
During the 21 July agreement, when European leaders agreed upon a new €159 billion aid package for Greece, Finland fought for extra assurances it won’t lose money by backing the European Financial Stability Facility.
The deal requires Greece to deposit cash in a state account that Finland will invest in AAA rated bonds. However, collateral demands from all contributors would make the aid package impossible to finance.
Finland has not yet decided on how to invest the collateral cash. “We haven’t drawn up the investment plan yet,” Urpilainen told Bloomberg, when asked which bonds Finland is considering. “The main thing is we have agreed on the model.”
Other stories you may find of interest:
A solution to the European sovereign debt crisis?
Europe is still negotiating to find a solution to the European sovereign debt crisis, but this will inevitably end in a messy compromise that fails to resolve the peripheral solvency crisis and merely prolongs the agony until the next stage, said Stuart Thomson, chief economist at Ignis Asset Management
Eurozone debt crisis: Italy and Spain next?
After the second bailout for Greece, markets have now turned their attention to Spain and Italy, said Tedd Scott, director of global strategy at F&C
