Eurozone crisis/Addendum

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This addendum is a continuation of the article Eurozone crisis.

Comparative data

Fiscal characteristics

Portugal Ireland   Italy    Greece    Spain  
Public debt. 2010 (per cent GDP)[1] 83.1 99.4 118.4 130.2 63.5
Percentage of public debt that is foreign-owned 2007[2] 55 62 42 48
Average time to maturity of public debt, years[3] 6.6 6.9 7.2 7.8 6.4
Primary budget deficit, 2010 (per cent GDP)[1] 4.1 29.3 0.8 2.2 7.3
Spreads (against 10 year German bunds) December 2010, per cent[4] 3.5 6.0 1.7 9.5 2.3
S&P credit rating, February 2011 [5] A- AA A+ BB+ AA
Current account deficit, 2010 (per cent of GDP)[6] 10.0 2.7 2.9 10.8 4.8

CDS spreads (a measure of perceived risk[1])

(basis points)

Portugal Ireland   Italy    Greece    Spain  
December 2009 79 156 98 241 98
May 2010 306 212 169 708 196
December 2010 468 570 218 993 330
April 2011 607 593 144 1206 229
September 2011 1308 978 503 7318 429

GDP growth

(per cent change on previous quarter)

2009 2010 2011
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Portugal -0,2  1.1  0.2  0.3  -0.6  -0.6   0.0
Italy -0.1  0.4  0.5  0.3  0.3  0.1  0.3
Ireland -2.5  2.2  -1.2  0.6  -1.6   1.3
Greece -1.1 -0.6 -1.7 -1.6 -2.8 -2.1 0.2
Spain -0.2  0.1  0.3  0.0  0.2  0.3  0.2
 Eurozone   0.2  0.4  1.0  0.4  0.3  0.8

(Source: Eurostat[2])

Crisis development by country

Greece

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Public Debt (% GDP) 105.4 111.7 127.1 142.8 157.7 166.1
Budget deficit (% GDP) 9.8 15.4 10.5 9.5 9.3

The crisis in Greece was the result of the impact of the Great Recession upon the already inflated public debt of an economy that had suffered a loss in international competitiveness as a result of its membership of the eurozone. Greece joined the eurozone in 2001, and membership enabled it to use borrowing from abroad to finance an economic boom. Labour costs rose more rapidly than productivity over the next seven years, as a result of which there was a fall in export competitiveness, and the deficit on its balance of payments rose to over 14 per cent of GDP. Much of the government's public expenditure during those years was financed by borrowing, and the country's public debt rose to several times the European average, at around 100 per cent of GDP.

12/09 01/10 05/10 12/10 04/11 09/11
CDS spread (basis points) 241 400 708 993 1206 7318

The crisis erupted in the winter of 2009/10 with a series of bond rating downgrades by the credit rating agencies and a major increase in bond spreads (see table) as it became apparent that the government might not be able to roll-over maturing debt. Help was sought from other members of the eurozone, and financial rescue negotiations lasted until till May. An austerity package was launched including a 15 per cent cut in public sector pay, severe cuts to pensions and an increase in value-added tax from 21 per cent to 23 per cent. In May 2010,a €110 billion European Union/International Monetary Fund rescue was mounted.

The austerity package was initially effective: the budget deficit was reduced to 10.5 per cent in 2010, but there was little further reduction beyond the first six months, and there were reports of resistance and obstruction by public sector workers. The bond market responded with another major increase in spreads and in May 2011, further funding problems became evident. Further austerity measures were introduced in June, including income tax and value-added tax increases and a charge of €300 on the self employed. In July, the eurozone leaders and the International Monetary Fund agreed to lend Greece a further 109bn euros ($155bn, £96.3bn)[7]. Also, as part of the deal, private sector investors were asked to accept a restructuring agreement involving a 21% loss on their holdings. The deal was subject to the approval of the parliaments of the eurozone countries. The deal failed to reassure investors, and Greece ceased to have access to the bond market. A further austerity package was launched under which 30,000 public sector workers were to be placed on stand-by at 60% of salary, there was to be a further income tax rise, and a property tax of about €700 for typical household. By September 2011, the yield on 10-year Greek government bonds had risen to over 20 per cent, and it was openly acknowledged that default had become unavoidable, and that reduction of the Greeek government's debt by about 50 per cent had become necessary.

On October 26 2011 at an EU summit, agreement was reached on a package that included a 50 percent writeoff of the Greek government's debt, at the price to Greece of further austerity measures, and Prime Minister Papendreou decided to hold a referendum to enable the country to decide whether to accept its terms[8]

Ireland

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Public Debt (% GDP) 25.0 44.4 65.6 95.2 112.0 117.7
Budget deficit (% GDP) 7.3 14.3 32.4 10.5 8.8

Ireland's financial crisis resulted from a recession-induced bursting of an asset price bubble, not from an above-average level of its pre-recession public debt. It was greatly aggravated, however, by a government decision to guarantee its banks' deposits.

Having joined the eurozone, the Irish government offered tax incentives to promote inward investment by financial companies and there was a large inflow of capital. Between 2001 and 2008 the country's total debt (pubic and private) doubled to reach over 700 per cent of GDP - of which 421 per cent went to the financial sector and much of the rest was used to finance a housing boom. In 2008, however, a downturn in the output of the construction industry that had started in 2007, developed into a full-blown economic recession, and construction and property companies began to default on loans from the banks. Bank losses amounted to as much as 20 per cent of GDP by 2009, and foreign banks and investors, that had been the banks' principal source of short-term finance, became reluctant to risk further commitments. A banking crisis developed, consumer confidence fell and there was a very sharp increase in unemployment[9][10]. In September 2008, the Irish government undertook to guarantee all deposits in Irish banks: a liability of over twice Ireland's GDP, and in April 2009 it set up a National Asset Management Agency[11] to operate as a bad bank which acquires toxic debt from banks in return for government bonds. The government also introduced fiscal stimulus measures amounting to 4.4 per cent of GDP spread over the three years 2008-10 which, combined with the effects of its automatic stabilisers resulted a sharp increase in the country's public debt (see table). Foreign investors became wary of the possibility a sovereign default, and the government's ability to finance the deficit was threatened by a general loss of confidence. In March 2009 the Standard and Poor credit rating agency downgraded its rating for Ireland from AAA to AA+[12], and April, the government decided that the only way to restore confidence was to take steps to reduce its deficit - and took the extraordinary step of increasing taxation in the midst of a recession [13]. Additional steps taken included direct purchase of stock in some banks and the establishment of the "National Asset Management Agency" - essentially a government-owned bank that will buy toxic debt from six financial institutions - both steps aimed at improving their balance sheets and freeing up capital[14].

12/09 05/10 12/10 04/11 09/11
CDS spread (basis points) 156 212 570 593 978

Between 2009 and 2010 Ireland's budget deficit increased from 14.2 per cent to 32.4 per cent of GDP, as a result mainly of one-off measures in support of the banking sector. On August 24, 2010 the Standard and Poor's credit rating agency downgraded Ireland's debt for the 3rd time to AA- (following 3 downgrades by the Fitch agency and 2 by Moody's). In the second quarter of 2010, Ireland's economy suffered a second downturn and the Government's financial position continued to deteriorate. Early in November, the government announced its intention to make €15bn of budget cuts, including a €6bn cut in 2011[15].

On the 22nd of November 2010 the government applied for financial assistance from the EU and the IMF[16]. The package[17] that was agreed included €35 billion to restructure the banking sector, €50 billion to assist the state budget. Of that sum, Ireland agreed to provide €17.5 billion from its own reserves and €67.5 billion, was to be divided equally among the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Financial Stability Facility. The interest rate on the loans was to average about 5.8%.

Italy

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Public Debt (% GDP) 103.6 106.9 116.1 119.0 120.3 119.6
Budget deficit (% GDP) 2.7 5.4 4.6 4.0 3.2

Investor concern about contagion of default risk by Italy did not surface until mid-2011. It was reinforced then by fears that, although its budget deficit is among the lowest in the eurozone, Italy's public debt (then at 120% of GDP) might be unsustainable in the long run. The IMF had estimated that Italy would need to raise an amount equivalent to 20% of GDP in order to roll-over maturing debt in 2012, and there were doubts about its ability to raise that amount, in view of its low growth rate.

12/09 05/10 12/10 04/11 09/11
CDS spread (basis points) 98 169 218 144 503

In September 2011 Italian government bonds were downgraded from A+ to A by Standard & Poors [18], because of the high level of its public debt, its weakening growth prospects, and the fragility of its governing coalition, and because policy differences within parliament were expected to limit the government's ability to respond decisively to economic challenges. The emergency budget approved by parliament on September 14th and substantial purchases by the European Central Bank of Italian government bonds on the secondary market since early August have failed to calm investors nerves, increasing the pressure on Prime Minister Berlusconi to stand aside.

Portugal

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Public Debt (% GDP) 68.3 71.6 83.0 93.0 101.7 107.4
Budget deficit (% GDP) 3.5 10.1 9.1 5.9 4.5

Since joining the eurozone, Portuguese labour costs have risen faster than its productivity[19][20], leading to a fall in international competitiveness, and to a growing balance of payments deficit - financed by borrowing from abroad. Its principal sources of income were agricultural exports, tourism, and income from its nationals working abroad . All three were hit by the recession, and its economy suffered a downturn earlier than other eurozone economies. In response to the downturn (and to fiscal stimulus of about 1¼ per cent of GDP) the 2009 budget deficit rose to 9.3 per cent of GDP. There was a return to GDP growth early in 2010, but output fell again in the 4th quarter of the year, and despite reductions in public expenditure the deficit for the year remained above 9 per cent of GDP, and expectations of a further fallin output in 2011[21] cast doubt upon the prospect of further deficit reductions and the level of public debt is expected to rise from its 2010 level of 83 per cent of GDP to 93 per cent by 2012[21].

On 5th May 2011 the EU and the IMF ageed to provide Portugal with a conditional €26 Billion Extended Fund Facility Arrangement[22]. Under the agreement, Portugal is required to reduce its budget deficit to 3 percent of GDP by 2013.

12/09 05/10 12/10 04/11 09/11
CDS spread (basis points) 79 306 468 607 1308

On 5th July 2011, Moody’s downgraded Portugal’s long-term government bond ratings to Ba2 from Baa1 and downgraded its short-term debt rating to Not-Prime from Prime-2. Moody's cited the risk that Portugal might need further EU support before it can return to the private market, and that such support might be conditional on private sector participation, and the risk that it might fail to meet its agreed deficit reduction and debt stabilisation targets.

Spain

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Public Debt (% GDP) 36.1 39.8 53.3 60.1 68.1 71.0
Budget deficit (% GDP) 4.2 11.1 9.2 6.3 5.3

The recession in Spain was shallower but more protracted than the European average, and the recovery, which started in the first quarter of 2010, has been described as "weak and fragile"[23]. Spain's unemployment rate was among the highest in Europe, reaching 20 per cent by mid 2010[24]. A major contributory factor was the bursting of a vigorous housing bubble, as a result of which the construction sector crashed, and the banking sector suffered a downturn despite the fact that it had avoided the acquisition of toxic debt. Another major factor was deleveraging of a deeply indebted household sector. The Government responded with a major fiscal stimulus that, together with the effects of the country's automatic stabilisers resulted in the largest budget deficit in the European Union - although its public debt as a percentage of GDP was among the smallest.

12/09 05/10 12/10 04/11 09/11
CDS spread (basis points) 98 196 330 229 429

In 2010, the bond market developed a debt aversion against Spain following the Greek crisis, the Standard and Poor credit rating agency downgraded its credit rating from AA+ to AA on 28 April 2010[25], and the sovereign spread over Germany's 10-year bonds rose to 164 basis points in early May 2010. [26]


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 WEO projections, IMF Fiscal Monitor, November 2010
  2. ECB
  3. Global Debt and Deleveraging from McKinsey and the Economist, June 26 2010
  4. Euro Intelligence, 3rd December 2010
  5. Guardian Datablog, 19 July 2010 (ratings go AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B)
  6. Regional Economic Outlook, Europe, IMF October 2010
  7. Statement by EZ Heads of State, 21 July 2011
  8. Kerin Hope, Peter Spiegel and Telis Demos: Greece calls referendum on EU bail-out, Financial Times, October 31, 2011
  9. The Tiger Tamed, The Economist, November 2008
  10. The Party is Definitely Over, The Economist March 19 2009
  11. Proposal for a National Asset Management Agency, National Treasury Management Agency, 8 Apri 2009
  12. Stacy-Marie Ishmael: S&P strips Ireland of its triple-A rating, FT-Alphaville, March 30 2009
  13. Budget Statement, Department of Finance, April 7, 2009
  14. Money Guide Ireland. NAMA - National Asset Management Agency. Retrieved on 2009-05-12.
  15. Irish Republic announces record budget cuts, BBC News 4 November 2010
  16. Full text of the Government statement on its application for financial aid from the EU and IMF, Irish Times, 22 November 2010
  17. Council agrees on joint EU-IMF financial assistance package for Ireland, European Commission, 7 December, 2010
  18. Republic of Italy,Standard & Poors, September 19, 2011
  19. The importance of not being Greece, The Economist, April 22, 2010
  20. Country Report on Portugal, International Monetary Fund, January 2010
  21. 21.0 21.1 European Commission economic forecast for Portugal, Autumn 2010,29th November 2010
  22. IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement With Portugal On a €26 Billion Extended Fund Facility Arrangement, Press Release No. 11/, IMF, May 5, 2011
  23. Country Report: Spain, International Monetary Fund, July 2010
  24. Spanish Unemployment. Is There a Solution?, Centre for Economic Policy Research, September 2010
  25. S&P downgrades Spain to AA, Financial Times Alphaville 28 April 2010
  26. Note on the savings bank restructuring process, Banco de Espana, 15 July 2011