Bundesbank's Weidmann floats idea of debt extension for countries in a bailout

In remarks that may show a willingness to compromise on the question of Greece's debt burden, Jens Weidmann said: "One proposal of the Bundesbank envisages, for example, an automatic extension of the maturities on all the bonds of a country as soon as it has applied for an ESM (European Stability Mechanism) program."

"That would drastically reduce the financing needs of a possible program," he said.

Although this is not the first time the Bundesbank has made such a suggestion, the comments from Weidmann, who also sits on the ECB's policy-setting Governing Council, strike a more conciliatory tone in a debate about how best to lighten Greece's heavy debt burden.

(Reporting by John O'Donnell)