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European Officials Shaping Greek Rescue and Effort to Aid Banks

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German chancellor Angela Merkel arrived for a meeting of eurozone leaders in Brussels on October 23, 2011. She said: "I believe that now we have reached a more realistic view of the situation in Greece and that we will provide the necessary means to be able to protect the euro." Germany has insisted that bondholders take writeoffs of between 50-60% of Greek debt so that Greece would have sustainable debt. A review of Greece's debt by the European Commission in coordination with the ECB and the IMF shows that Greece's debt situation is totally unsustainable and will require a bondholder writeoff of around 60%. according to that report a 60% writeoff for bondholders would be required to bring Greece's debt below 110 percent of GDP by 2020. This has supported the German "realistic" view and Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, who heads the euro group of finance ministers stated that "we agreed yesterday (Friday, Oct. 21) that we have to have a significant increase in the banks' contribution." France also backed away from the plan it was supporting for the European Financial Stability Facility (the fund established to lend to troubled countries) to borrow from the European Central Bank, something Germany opposes. French finance minister Francois Baroin, said the issue was "not a definitive point of discussion for us,... what matters is what works." The Dutch support the Germans on these issues and Dutch finance minister, Jan Kees de Jager, said the use of the European central bank was "no longer an option." Options being considered are for the European Financial Stability Facility to offer insurance against a portion of losses on Italian and Spanish bonds.

The logjam between the bondholders (mostly French and German banks) and the German government- 2010-2012

07/01/2011

The roots of the Eurozone financial crisis go back to the issue of who should pay for the excess lending of French and German banks. Will it be the German taxpayer or the banks that took excessive risks? German financial experts, the German government and parliament, German public opinion, are all adamantly opposed to letting the banks off without sharing at least 50% of the costs of a bailout. A review done by the European Commission in coordination witht he IMF and the ECB, shows that from May 2010 (the date for the inception of the aid program to Greece) to September 2011, $52 billion of the $91 billion loaned to Greece went to pay bondholders for bonds that came due. The July 2011 EU agreement for Greece called for 21% of losses to be allocated to the bondholders. The German government is pushing for 50% and German parlamentary leaders in Merkel's party are balking at anything less.

Grouped Articles

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Heavens, Not Havens

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Policy ‘Troika’ for Europe Financial Woes at Odds

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Most Greek bailout money has gone to pay off bondholders - The Washington Post

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European Officials Shaping Greek Rescue and Effort to Aid Banks

New York Times 10/22/2011

John Cochrane and other experts give a no-nonsense view of the bailouts and the financial crises facing Europe

12/02/2010

Insights that the real problem is short term debt financing. The need for the EU to insist on long tem debt financing for governments in Europe. The solution for this crisis is not in bailouts of Greece, Spain, Italy and so on, but to swap the short term debt for debt with longer term maturities, and for bondholders to take a haircut. Similiar to the Brady Plan for Latin America in the late 1980's. The bailout of Ireland in reality not a bailout of Ireland, as a bailout of German and British banks that made risky loans to Irish banks and the Irish government. The U.S. government's debt also tilted to short term debt and problems similar to European problems.

Grouped Articles

EU Dismisses IMF's Criticism On Greek Bailout

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As Ireland Flails, Europe Lurches Across the Rubicon

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Europe Needs to Apportion Pain

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What does Germany want from the Euro and the European Union? The Euro issue facing Germany in 2011-2015

03/03/2010

German political leaders do not want a "transfer union." At the same time they want to keep the European Union, just as much as Chancellor Kohl and Chancellor Adenauer. Merkel, Schroeder, Schauble and other leaders agree on the need for the European Union. The question is how to bring fiscal discipline to the EU, even if this means redesigning the structure of the EU. The vision of a united Europe persists.

Grouped Articles

Europe's Original Sin

Wall Street Journal 03/03/2010

Germany's Surplus Isn't the Problem

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Crisis of the Eurocrats

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Greek Crisis Shows How Germany’s Power Polarizes Europe

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Strict order

Economist 08/08/2015

Charlemagne: Germany’s euro question

Economist 09/10/2011


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