希腊纾困调整进入倒计时

Eurozone leaders have given themselves three weeks to finalise an overhaul of Greece’s bailout programme, requiring parliamentary backing in creditor countries that are sceptical about reducing Athens’ interest rate burden.

欧元区领导人计划用三周的时间对希腊纾困调整方案达成最终意见，这需要得到对降低希腊利息负担持怀疑立场的债权国议会的支持。

But eurozone approval, which officials hope will be completed in time to release a long delayed €31.3bn aid payment to Athens on November 27, will only be granted if the Greek parliament agrees to new austerity measures in a hotly-contested vote scheduled for tonight.

但只有今晚希腊议会在激烈的投票中通过新紧缩措施，欧元区才会批准这项方案。官员们希望能够及时完成批准过程，于11月27日向希腊提供迟迟没有到位的313亿欧元救助款项。

“We have to back these measures, we are already committed to implementing them, Yannis Stournaras, Greek finance minister, said yesterday. “They are tough but the alternative is a disorderly default.

希腊财长斯图纳拉斯(Yannis Stournaras)昨日说：“我们必须支持这些（紧缩）措施，我们已经承诺要落实。尽管这些措施很艰难，但除此之外只能选择无序违约。

If Athens wins the vote and passes a new 2013 budget on Sunday, eurozone finance ministers are expected to approve the interest rate cuts on Monday, starting a two-week clock for legislative approval in seven national capitals.

如果希腊政府能够通过今晚的表决，并在周日通过一项新的2013年预算案，预计欧元区财长们就能够在周一批准降低（希腊债务）利率，从而在七个国家的首都开启为期两周的立法批准进程。

The interest-rate cut is the most contentious part of a multi-pronged package being negotiated by the “troika of international lenders to reduce Greece’s burgeoning debt – projected to peak at 192 per cent of economic output in 2014 – and could prompt debates in some parliaments where support for more Greek aid is most tenuous.

国际贷款方的“三驾马车正在磋商的旨在降低希腊债务的一揽子方案中，削减利率是最具争议的一个措施。预计2014年希腊债务将达到其经济产出的192%。降低利率举措可能会在一些对增加希腊救助最缺乏支持的议会中引起争论。

Under the current €174bn bailout programme, Greece’s interest rate is set at 150 basis points above interbank lending rates. Senior EU officials said they are considering cutting the premium to 80bp.

根据目前1740亿欧元的纾困计划，希腊偿债利率要高出银行间借贷利率150个基点。欧盟一些高级官员表示，他们正在考虑将该利差降到80个基点。

Greece’s benchmark 10-year bond yesterday climbed the most in two months to trade at 32.9 cents in the euro.

希腊基准的10年期国债价格昨日出现两个月来最大涨幅，升至其欧元面值的32.9%。