FRANKFURT, Germany -- European finance ministers meeting in Brussels have offered Greece a two-month extension of its financial lifeline as the two sides argue about whether Athens should impose more budget austerity.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the group of finance ministers from countries that use the euro, said the group would "be favourably disposed to a request by Greece" to push its current bailout deal into next year.
Greece's current bailout program was slated to run out at the end of the year and the country was to switch to a standby credit line with less onerous conditions. But its latest budget has failed to pass muster with international creditors, which means it hasn't yet been able to tap the last bailout loan installment of 1.8 billion euros ($2.2 billion).
