Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Despite publishing a more detailed mandate following a summit in Brussels, the Eurogroup delayed agreeing specifics on how to leverage the €440bn European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), risking further market turmoil ahead of votes on Tuesday that could topple Silvio Berlusconi's government. The EFSF also pushed ahead with a 10-year bond auction which it had put off from last week because of lack of demand. The fund, which is supposed to be the eurozone's key weapon against the debt crisis, managed to raise €3bn but only after having to pay record returns to entice investors. Joachim Fels of Morgan Stanley said: "The leveraged EFSF may still turn into a bazooka but so far it looks more like a water pistol."The fund is hampered by uncertainty over Greece's bail-out and eurozone membership. Italian government bond yields hit 14-year highs, crossing the threshold economists say is unsustainable for the country's €1.9 trillion debt pile. The yield on 10-year bonds soared to 6.68pc at one point, leading to frantic speculation that Italy will require an international bail-out.

2 comments:

woudrea said...

More scare tactics. 'We must have more and more sovereign debt to bail out soveriegns who have taken on too much debt'.Tell the truth, Louise. This should read 'We must have more and more sovereign debt to bail out banks who have taken on too much debt'.

cotoi said...

As every sovereign nation now begins to seek its own salvation the great european dream degenerates into the nightmare that it always was. The vast majority to pay for the delusional ideas of the minority in Brussels who will soon reap the rewards of their folly - i hope