Greece's central bank has moved to protect its banks from any fallout from the coming general election, asking the European Central Bank to approve a stand-by domestic emergency funding line, a Bank of Greece official said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
The move comes after two major banks applied to be able to tap an emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) window on Friday as Greeks withdraw cash before the snap election on Jan. 25.
"We have sent a request to the ECB on ELA approval for all four major banks to have a shield for the banking system," the official said, declining to be named. "It is up to each bank to decide whether it will use the funding line."
Greece's radical left-wing Syriza party is leading in polls. It wants to end austerity and renegotiate debt with its European partners. Under ELA, national central banks can lend to commercial banks but have to get approval from the ECB to do so.
Greek banks relied on it heavily at the peak of the debt crisis in 2012 but had repaid it by early last year.
