PARIS (MNI) – Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told regional
leaders of his Partido Popular party on Monday night that he does not
plan to seek a European aid deal this weekend, the Spanish daily El
Mundo reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said Rajoy denied press reports that Spain would make
an aid request this weekend, in time for it to be considered by
Eurogroup finance ministers at their meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.
Spanish bond yields fell in trading today amid expectations that an
aid request that could trigger European Central Bank bond buying might
be near. The yield on Spain’s benchmark 10-year bond fell 13 basis
points to 5.74% at midday.
Olli Rehn, the European Commission’s economic and monetary affairs
chief, sidestepped questions at a Madrid press conference on Monday
about when Spain might make an aid request, but added that the
Commission “is ready and prepared to respond whenever there is such a
request from any country.”
–Paris newsroom, +331-42-71-55-40; jduffy@marketnews.com
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