The EU and the IMF want to reassure them, to no avail
While markets plunged Monday on fears of contagion from the debt crisis in Europe, central bankers in the euro area have tried to reassure. "This is to resist the risk of contagion" in Italy, which seems to be the new target markets, or to Spain, and "maintain financial stability in the euro area," said the head of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Junker.
Thus, the finance ministers of the euro area, following a meeting that lasted nine hours Monday, were willing to increase the size of the Financial Assistance Fund, which has now a lending capacity 440 billion euros. They are also considering a "lengthening of maturities of loans" made to give more time to countries in difficulty to repay their debt and reduce interest rate loans to Greece.Other measures are also being considered to "improve the sustainability of government debt." No specific plan of support for the country, however, has been announced. What angered the Prime Minister George Papandreou who believes that "there is no room for indecision and errors", and regrets that European leaders are indulging in "cacophony".
For its part, the executive director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said she, that the effort of Greece to reduce its budget deficit is still "not enough". The patron of the institution has also sought to reassure over Italy. While the surge in borrowing rates to 10 years in Italy has shown concern on the situation of the country, Christine Lagarde said that "some of the Italian figures are excellent easy pay day loans."She added that "it is clear that Italy is currently facing problems which are essentially driven by the markets." Former Economy Minister further stated that the rating agencies' role "without elaborate. These are singled out: besides the Brussels wants to silence forbade them to assess a country subject to an assistance plan.
The international community "can not save Spain"
But nothing works. Markets are not satisfied and the stock markets tumbling again Tuesday morning. Bank stocks have been particularly affected. In Madrid, the Ibex index lost more than 2%. The Spanish Minister of Economic Affairs, Elena Salgado, said Tuesday he was "not logical" that Spain and Italy are "affected by market volatility," because their economies are "strong and diversified. ""If we are able to transmit the determination that we all, markets should reasonably calm down," she said.
But markets, they do not see things this way: "While the international community can save Greece, Ireland and Portugal, it will not save Spain, too important contributor to the euro area" , said Monday Laurent Geronimi, director of rate management at Swiss Life Private Banking.
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