France hints eurozone should ease stance for Greek deal

Paris

DEBT-LADEN Greece and EU paymaster Germany struck hardline postures ahead of a crucial meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Monday on the future of an unpopular international bailout for Athens, but France called for a compromise.

With officials involved in preparatory talks offering conflicting assessments of whether there had been progress on an interim compromise, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble maintained a typically tough line, saying Greece had lived beyond its means for a long time and there was no appetite in Europe for giving it any more money without guarantees.

"What I have heard so far has not strengthened my optimism. It seems like we have no results so far," he said as h…