Austrian finance minister: No to eurobonds

VIENNA (Reuters) - Britain and the United S

VIENNA (Reuter

The Prudent Investor submits: Austrian conservative Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll wants to nationalize Austria's central bank completely. According to reports from Austrian state broadcaster ORF, Pröll offers the 30% private shareholders €50 million, a multiple for their €3.6 million in equity.

I have no idea what the actual number of times Germany Has ruled out Eurobonds. It could be 504 or even 1004. I Made up the number 104 which simply means "a lot". Nonetheless, the Eurobond idea resurfaces every other week or so, and every time, someone from Germany (typically Merkel, the Bunbdesbank, or the Finance Minister) rules them out. Once again, this time under pressure from French president François Hollande, Germany rules out common euro bonds.

Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou refused to comment Tuesday on reports that Austria might withhold its contribution to the country’s E110 billion aid deal. “I will not comment on the specific comments,” Papaconstantinou told reporters as he arrived for the meeting of Eurozone finance ministers.

The Austrian government has nationalised real estate financier Hypo Group Alpe Adria (HGAA), the country's sixth largest bank, to save it from bankruptcy, Finance Minister Josef Proell said Monday.The announcement came after a deal was reached for HGAA's owners -- Bavaria's BayernLB bank, Austrian mutual insurer Grazer Wechselseitige and the province of Carinthia -- to contribute over a billion euros (1.46 billion dollars) to the troubled bank.