The Greek political impasse precipitated whole euro-zone in turmoil. The urgency urges Europe to find a solution quickly. Whatever it is, it will be painful.
• To compel Greece to respect the austerity
European leaders launched an ultimatum to Greece. If it does not implement the austerity required, the international financial aid would be cut off, preventing Greece to repay all its debt maturities coming, and precipitating the country into bankruptcy. In this case, Greece should leave the eurozone.
Provided in recent weeks, Europe operates a shift in which growth has its place in the Old Continent's economic strategy, in addition to fiscal restraint. The background is a consensus, but not the form. In this context, forcing Greece to return to the pure austerity seems difficult. First, because the Greek people, breathless and desperate, no longer wanted and made it clear at the polls. Secondly, because the Greek political situation, with anti-austerity parties going up, is at an impasse which removes the unprecedented possibility of a return to a political pro-austerity majority. Finally, a Europe that would impose on Greece which it now seems inappropriate, would conduct both schyzophrène and suicidal.
• Allow Greece leave the euro
This option is no longer unthinkable. Even the IMF is preparing, just in case. Besides the legal aspect – the European treaties do not foresee such a case – a return to the drachma would have terrible consequences. For the Greeks first. Already, there is such a perspective the population grows at bank counters. Out of the euro could cost at a minimum 10 points of GDP in Greece on the first year alone. And for subsequent years, there is nothing to predict that Greece so as Argentina. Greece does not export much. Rather, it is very important (30% of GDP), at a cost untenable if the drachma depreciated. Finally, a lack of public debt would not solve its problems: the deficit would still exist and would be widened by a favorable massacred.
Then for other countries Europeans, too weakened by sluggish growth and public finances deteriorated seriously. In France alone, the net loss would amount to nearly 60 already one billion euros. Dominates also the risk of setting a precedent and see other weak countries, like Ireland and Portugal, also on a drip of the IMF and the EU, choosing bankruptcy and return to their local currency in an attempt last resort to reinvigorate. The euro area could then explode as fast as the market attack.
• Give more time for Greece to achieve its objectives
Among the possible options for Greece: the scenario of a further relaxation of the austerity plan. Asphyxiated by drastic austerity measures, Athens could threaten to leave the euro – and the euro area and plunge into an existential crisis dangerous – and take longer to achieve the fiscal targets set by Europe and the IMF pay day loan lenders. For now, the European side, the tone is icy. Especially in Germany, where the finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has categorically denied any renegotiation of the plan with EU, IMF and ECB.
If Greece is in the euro area, and that time is given for finding the way serenely fiscal consolidation, solutions to longer term, for Greece and for the rest of the eurozone, are possible.
• Review the role of the ECB
More and more voices (including that of François Hollande) are calling for the ECB to intervene much more to lower interest rates. It could be that the ECB buys direct public debt markets – the market price – and then she turns them into securities with very long maturities and interest rates low in order to significantly reduce the debt service troubled countries. The loss for the ECB would artificially offset. At this point, the idea is hardly addressed at European level, Germany and the four brake shoes when it comes to change the role of the ECB. She even refuses to talk for fear of frightening the markets.
Further, warned Patrick Artus of Natixis economist, "the crisis in the euro area would not be far from over" de-industrialized countries like Greece, France, Spain, Portugal or Italy still remain in position of heavy deficit which recovery will remain unavoidable to restore public finances.
• Creation of Eurobonds, strengthening the European Investment Bank, etc..
Hence the notion of "growth", often accompanied by the word "competitiveness" and "employment", claimed by all heads of the European ruling, and now supported by Barack Obama. Remains is to agree on how to get it. Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel, during their first recontre, showed they were sentenced to agree. Next Wednesday, they meet for an informal lunch with their European counterparts. The great debate to continue building the future Europe could be launched: implementation or not of Eurobonds and a "European Treasury" strengthening European Investment Bank, the objectives of the open ECB to employment (as in the United States for the Fed) and not only to inflation; establishment of a Marshall Plan, etc..
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