The former head of the US central
bank, Alan Greenspan, has predicted that Greece will have to leave the
eurozone. He told the BBC he could not see who would be willing to put up more loans to
bolster Greece's struggling economy. Greece wants to re-negotiate its bailout, but Mr Greenspan said "I don't
think it will be resolved without Greece leaving the eurozone". Earlier, UK Chancellor George Osborne said a Greek exit would cause "deep
ructions" for Britain. Mr Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006, said: "I
believe [Greece] will eventually leave. I don't think it helps them or the rest
of the eurozone - it is just a matter of time before everyone recognises that
parting is the best strategy. The problem is that there there is no way that I can conceive of the euro of
continuing, unless and until all of the members of eurozone become politically
integrated - actually even just fiscally integrated won't do it." Following the election in Greece of the anti-austerity Syriza party, Greek
ministers have been touring European capitals trying to drum up support for a
re-negotiation of its bailout terms. However, there appears little willingness in Berlin, or at the European
Central Bank, to alter the terms of its €240bn (£182bn) rescue by the European
Union, ECB, and International Monetary Fund. "The [bailout] conditions with Greece were generous, beyond all measure,''
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said last week. He saw not
justification for relaxing them further. Euro
break-up ...
Mr Greenspan said: "All the cards are being held by members of the
eurozone." He also warned that trying to hold the 19-nation euro bloc together "is
putting strain on everybody". He said as well as Greece leaving the eurozone,
there was a real risk of a "much bigger break-up" with other southern European
countries forced out. Earlier on Sunday, Mr Osborne told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the UK was
stepping up contingency planning to prepare for a possible Greek exit. "This stand-off between Greece and the eurozone is increasing the risks every
day to the British economy," the chancellor said. A Greek exit from the single currency would create instability in European
financial markets and cause "real ructions" in Britain, too, he added.
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