Germany rebuked over delay in Greek aid package

AGREEMENT on the conditions for the €45 billion loan to Greece was just a matter of days away, the European Commission said as several countries turned against Germany and its hard line on the Mediterranean country.

The French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, in a thinly veiled reference to the public row in Germany, said that it could be seen as posturing for the sake of public opinion. She warned that time was of the essence in agreeing the final terms for the joint eurozone-IMF loan for Greece and added that the eurozone will stand behind Greece.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said he was worried by some of the rigidities Germany was insisting on. He said that helping Greece was to help maintain confidence in the eurozone and prevent attacks on other countries.