Reuters scores exclusive interview with German Deputy Finance Minister

German Deputy Finance Minister Joerg Asmussen chose a Reuters interview to reveal that Berlin was reviving a proposal for a bond swap to involve private sector creditors in a second bailout of Greece. The announcement was important because it suggested a French proposal for a debt rollover — previously the focus of talks between the European Union and banks — was floundering. The interview was published two days before new French finance minister Francois Baroin was due to meet his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble for the first time in his post. The Wall Street Journal and many German media outlets, including public broadcaster ARD, picked up the Reuters exclusive.