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A Better Grecian Bailout

Wall Street Journal Original article ›

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John Taylor looks one step ahead of the March 2012 Greece bailout and sets up the most plausible scenario for the future. He says the risks of contagion were always exaggerated from the beginning- a planned default or restructuring of debt such as happened in Argentina in 2001, does not have the contagion risks associated with a chaotic and unplanned default as in Russia in 1998. Predicability in policy makes a huge difference, says Taylor. The European banks which stood to lose from writedowns exaggerated the fears of contagion- a process that always occurs for people who are adversely affected by writedowns- resulting in top officials in the European Union delaying the unavoidable serious restructuring. It was not until Chancellor Merkel handed Charles Dallara, who negotiated for the European banks, a note stating a demand for 50% bondholder writedown, on October 27, 2011, at EU headquarters in Brussels, did any serious writedown of debt begin. Merkel told Dallara: "this is my last offer." The July 2011 summit by contrast had only a 10% bondholder writedown in the agreement, when insolvency not illiquidity was the real issue. Walker Forelle and Meichtry, give a detailed account of what happened in the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 30, 2011. The important thing for Greece, says Taylor, is for what the IMF calls "growth enhancing structural reforms" - greater reliance on private markets, incentives, rule of law. He says this bailout won't work because IMF growth forecasts do not reflect the rapid shrinking of the Greek economy. Antonis Samaras, leader of the major opposition party, is in favor of pro-growth measures and has stated his desire to change the agreement. The 130 billion euro bailout provides 90 billion euros for recapitalizing Greece's banks, and financing the budget. This puts Greece in a situation where the political leaders win voter support by discarding the conditions from the Northern EU nations and come with a plan that is better suited for Greece. The EU in this scenario would cut off further bailout funds to Greece. Taylor sees this as the better outcome for Greece than the current situation, which leaves Greece no hope for growth, and also for the EU by getting out of bailouts that have little prospect of working. It would be difficult but doable for Greece says Taylor, because interest payments would be low and Greek banks would be recapitalized after the current March 2012 bailout.

Greece's debt crisis in 2012 after the agreement with private creditors to take 50% of the losses on Greek bonds is not enough to reduce debt to sustainable levels

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Bondholders accepting 50% of losses- as agreed with EU leaders in Nov-Dec 2011 -will not be enough for Greece to meet its debt obligations, because of a fast deteriorating economy. By March 20, 2012, 14.5 billion euros of bonds come up for repayment or refinancing. More money will be needed from the EU. The voluntary exchange by private creditors of existing bonds for new bonds with 50% face value and maturing over a longer period will be made under an agreement using English law. This will be harder to change in the future, putting the burden on any future financing shortfall on EU countries unwilling to make further commitments to Greece.

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Francois Hollande, Socialist party candidate for president in France, on the EU's handling of the debt crisis in Greece

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Francois Hollande says the EU mishandled the Greece crisis. Greece should have been handled as an extraordinary situation with earlier debt restructuring from public and private creditors to bring Greece's debt down to 60% of GDP. The current coordinated plan of the EU, ECB and the IMF only brings debt down to 120% of GDP in 2020. Hollande said he understands the need to reduce the budget deficit with cuts but without growth it can't work.

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The artificial nature of the target especially considering all the unpredictables invoved.

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The EU's decision to adopt the French Banking Federation's plan that would double the cost of servicing Greece's debt will only make matters worse. This means increasing interest rates from 4-6% currently to 10% under 2% Greek economic growth, and makes debt servicing untenable. The adoption of similiar plans in the case of Mexico and Argentina in 2001, ended in failure a year after they were adopted, with private creditors taking losses. Financial markets see this with interest rates on Greek debt at 26%. Contagion might turn out to be worse as the situation deteriorates further.

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The financial crisis in the euro-zone and a similar situation that prevailed in Argentina in 2001. Experts from that period are convinced that euro-zone bondholders will have to accept securities offering less interest and maturing over a longer period.

Grouped Articles

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