歐洲央行對希臘採取強硬姿態

The European Central bank is resisting a key element of the Greek government’s new rescue plan, potentially leaving Athens with no source of outside funding when its international bailout expires at the end of the month.

歐洲央行(ECB)正在抵制希臘政府新救助計劃的一個關鍵要素，這可能意味着本月底國際救助到期後，希臘政府可能失去外部資金來源。

Yanis Varoufakis, Greek finance minister, had proposed to European officials that Athens raise 10bn by issuing short-term treasury bills as “bridge financing” to tide the country over for the next three months while a new bailout is agreed with its eurozone partners.

希臘財長亞尼斯•瓦魯法基斯(Yanis Varoufakis)此前向歐洲官員提議，希臘政府通過發行短期國債籌集100億歐元，作爲“過渡融資”幫助希臘撐過未來三個月，同時希臘與歐元區夥伴達成一個新的救助計劃。

But the ECB is unwilling to approve the debt sale. It will not raise a 15bn ceiling on treasury bill issuance to $25bn as requested, according to two officials involved in the deliberations.

但歐洲央行不願意批准這一發債方案。據參與協商的兩名官員透露，歐洲央行不會如希臘所要求，將150億歐元的國債發行上限提升至250億美元。

“The Greek plan relies fully on the ECB,” said another eurozone official briefed on the talks. “The ECB will play hardball.”

聽取了相關談判簡報的另一位歐元區官員表示：“希臘的計劃完全依賴歐洲央行。歐洲央行將採取強硬立場。”

In the absence of treasury bill financing, Athens would exit its bailout without access to emergency funds for the first time since the first bailout in 2010.

如果不能進行國債融資，希臘政府會在無法獲得緊急資金的情況下退出救助計劃，這將是自2010年第一場紓困以來的首次。

The ECB’s stance raises the stakes in the stand-off between the radical anti-austerity government in Athens and its international creditors, which, if unresolved, could end with Greece running out of cash within weeks.

歐洲央行的立場加劇了希臘激進的反緊縮政府與國際債權人之間的對峙，如果這場對峙得不到解決，結果可能是希臘在幾周內國庫告罄。

It is also likely to puncture a sense of optimism among investors over Greece’s alternative rescue plan and a softening of its insistence on debt cancellation, which lifted the Athens stock market 11.3 per cent yesterday and pared 10-year borrowing costs by nearly a full percentage point.

投資者原本對希臘的替代救助方案、對該國堅持取消債務的態度有所軟化表現出樂觀情緒，雅典股市昨日上漲11.3%，10年借貸成本降低近一個百分點。但歐洲央行的立場很可能掐滅這種樂觀情緒。

The Greek government has said it could survive without additional cash until June, when a 3.5bn bond comes due. But many EU officials fear allowing the programme to lapse could spur market panic and a bank run. Large-scale withdrawals from Greek lenders had slowed in recent days, officials said.

希臘政府表示，它能夠在沒有額外資金的情況下撐到6月，屆時將有一筆35億歐元的國債到期。但許多歐盟官員擔心，允許救助計劃終止可能激發市場恐慌和銀行擠兌。官員們表示，儲戶從希臘各銀行的大規模提款近日放緩。

Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, is expected to press Alexis Tsipras, the Greek premier, to ask for a “technical” extension of the current bailout when they meet today in Brussels, where fears are rising that Greece is entering uncharted waters.

歐盟委員會(European Commission)主席讓-克洛德•容克(Jean-Claude Juncker)今日將與希臘總理亞歷克西斯•齊普拉斯(Alexis Tsipras)在布魯塞爾會面，預計容克將敦促齊普拉斯尋求當前救助計劃的“技術性”延期。布魯塞爾方面越來越擔憂希臘正進入未知水域。