塞浦路斯否決存款征稅提案救助擱淺

Cyprus lawmakers reject bank tax; bailout in disarray

中國日報網 2013-03-20 16:16

Protesters shout slogans during an anti-bailout rally outside the parliament in Nicosia March 19, 2013.

Cyprus overwhelmingly rejected a proposed levy on bank deposits as a condition for a European bailout on Tuesday, throwing international efforts to rescue the latest casualty of the euro zone debt crisis into disarray.

The vote in the tiny legislature was a stunning setback for the 17-nation currency bloc, angering European partners and raising fears the crisis could spread; lawmakers in Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy have all accepted austerity measures over the last three years to secure European aid.

With hundreds of demonstrators outside the parliament chanting "They're drinking our blood", the ruling party abstained and 36 other lawmakers voted unanimously to reject the bill, bringing the Mediterranean island, one of the smallest European states, to the brink of financial meltdown.

Finance Minister Michael Sarris had already headed to Moscow, amid speculation Russia could offer assistance given the high level of Russian deposits in Cypriot banks. President Nicos Anastasiades, barely a month in office, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the vote.

Anastasiades was due to meet party leaders at 9 am on Wednesday to explore a way forward.

"The voice of the people was heard," 65-year-old pensioner Andreas Miltiadou said among a crowd of demonstrators jubilant after the vote.

EU countries had warned they would withhold 10 billion euros ($13 billion) in bailout loans unless depositors in Cyprus, including small savers, shared the cost of the rescue, an unprecedented step in the stubborn debt crisis.

The European Central Bank had threatened to end emergency lending assistance for teetering Cypriot banks, which were hard hit by the financial crisis in neighboring Greece.

The island's partners barely disguised their anger.

Euro zone paymaster Germany, facing an election this year and increasingly frustrated with the mounting cost of bailing out its southern partners, said Cyprus had no one to blame but itself for the gravity of the situation.

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Reuters

塞浦路斯議會周二以壓倒性多數票拒絕了以征收存款稅為附加條件的歐元區援助計劃，國際社會為拯救塞浦路斯這個歐債危機最新“遇難國”所付出的努力也陷入泥淖。

塞浦路斯議會的投票令擁有17個成員國的歐元區深感挫敗，惹惱了歐洲伙伴，也讓人們更加擔心危機會擴散。在過去三年中，為確保獲得歐洲援助，希臘、葡萄牙、愛爾蘭、西班牙和意大利都接受了緊縮措施。

數百名示威者在議會外高喊“他們在吸我們的血”，執政黨投票棄權，其他36名議員一致投票反對，這將這個地中海島國，也是歐洲最小的國家之一推向金融崩潰的邊緣。

塞浦路斯財政部長米歇爾?薩里斯已經前往莫斯科，有猜測認為俄羅斯會對塞浦路斯提供援助，因為俄羅斯在塞浦路斯有大量存款。塞浦路斯總統尼克斯-阿那斯塔西亞迪斯就職僅有一個月，在投票后他與俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾?普京進行了通話。

阿那斯塔西亞迪斯原定于周三上午9點與政黨領袖會面，提出解決措施。

65歲的養老金領取者Andreas Miltiadou 在投票后說：“人民的聲音得到了傾聽?！碑敃r他正在和一群示威者歡呼。

歐盟國家在投票前提醒說，除非包括小儲戶在內的塞浦路斯存款人分擔救助成本，否則將不會發放100億歐元（130億美元）援助貸款。而這在難以處理的債務危機中是前所未有的舉措。

歐洲央行也威脅將停止對該國受困銀行發放緊急貸款援助。塞浦路斯的銀行受到鄰國希臘金融危機的嚴重打擊。

歐盟國家毫不掩飾它們的憤怒。

歐元區出資大國德國表示，對目前嚴峻的形勢而言，塞浦路斯不能怪罪任何一方，只能怪自己。德國今年將迎來選舉，對于救助南歐伙伴國的高昂代價愈發感到不滿。