Brussels, 07/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Hungarian finance minister, György Matolcsy, commented in Budapest on Friday 7 January on the idea of eurozone countries coming together to issue eurobonds that, at the end of the day, eurobonds were needed. He is reported by AFP as saying that by 2013 or by the end of the decade, he was very optimistic about the final outcome, certain that there would be new financial options, like eurobonds, available by then. This support for the eurobond idea mooted by Italy and Luxembourg comes the day after similar statements by the Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, on an official visit to Paris (see EUROPE 10288). Germany and France, the biggest eurozone economies, however, oppose the idea. The joint emission of sovereign debt (bonds) could make it more expensive for Germany and France to raise funds on the money markets and would also involve the risk of eurozone countries' easing up on their budget austerity measures with more spendthrift countries automatically benefiting from lower borrowing costs. (M.B./transl.fl)