LONDON — Greece’s international bailout hit a new obstacle Thursday when three euro-zone countries indicated they were likely to seek collateral in exchange for their loan. Finland earlier reached a similar deal with the debt-laden government in Athens.
Although the three countries — Austria, the Netherlands and Slovakia — are small or midsize economies, accounting for little more than 10 percent of the new bailout of 109 billion euros ($156 billion), their intervention presents a headache for policymakers.
“If this spreads as we fear it could, it is not a minor complication,” said one European official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The effort threatens to complicate negotiations on the second package of aid agreed to by euro-zone leaders in July, creating an additional problem for officials seeking to bring the continent’s debt crisis under control.
The New York Times
