LUXEMBOURG (AFP) - European nations sought Monday to patch up a damaging split over who should pay to bail out Greeces battered economy, as markets reacted with impatience at political point-scoring. After Germany growled at efforts to nail down a 45-billion-euro (60-billion-dollar) EU-IMF bailout, Italy hit out in anger reminding Berlin that all 16 eurozone partners belong to the same fragile family. But as Greece vowed to negotiate fresh budget cuts in 2011 and 2012 in exchange for loans it hopes to secure by May 19 a key condition for hawks in Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to soften her stance. I say quite clearly Germany will help, if the corresponding pre-conditions are met. That will take a few days, said the German chancellor, who is facing tight domestic elections on May 9. She said negotiators from the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission must thrash out with Athens a sustainable, well worked-out plan to get the countrys finances under control over the longer term. Merkel said she had faith that the talks would deliver, but with an eye on the vote in powerful North Rhine-Westphalia also said she could understand the concerns of the majority of Germans opposed to bailing out Greece. If Greece is ready to accept tough measures and not just for one year, but for several years then we have a good chance to keep and secure the euro as a stable currency for us all, she underlined. Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou had earlier revealed that Athens would soon announce specific measures and policies to limit rampant public deficit and debt and restructure its economy. Political opponents who are pushing for tax cuts for small and medium-sized businesses have threatened to mount a challenge to any bail-out in Germanys constitutional court, with parliamentary approval also required. Speaking in Luxembourg, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had warned that making promises of concrete aid too soon will only have the effect of taking the pressure off Greece. Athens is feeling the pinch with at least eight billion euros of debt facing maturity by May 19. Greeces cost of borrowing hit its highest-ever level, of 9.401 percent, easing just slightly to 9.388 percent by late Monday compared to interest rates of around 5.0 percent for the loans from Greeces currency partners. With the euro down against the dollar once more, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso issued a joint demand for quick and resolute action against speculators. The commission and the European Central Bank are due to deliver their assessment of Greeces needs within days. As Europes largest economy, Germany was expected to contribute around 8.4 billion euros, but its stance is causing consternation among euro partners. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Merkels government was threatening the entire euro area, which is also beset by worries over deficits and debts in other countries led by Portugal, Ireland and Spain. I am concerned by the intransigence Germany is showing, Frattini said. There can be no doubt if the (shared) house is in difficulty we have to save the walls because we are all in this (shared) house. This is not a rescue operation (for Greece), this is a consolidation of Europes walls, the walls of the euro, its a rescue for all of us, he underlined. IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn stressed on Sunday that he was confident that negotiations could be concluded in time to meet Greeces needs.