Leaders of the 16 EU member states that use the Euro have approved a 110 billion Euro loan to Greece to prevent its debt crisis from spreading. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the Eurozone would do whatever it took to safeguard Greece's financial stability. In return for the three-year loan, Athens must cut public spending.
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet faced down pressure for new moves to shore up the weakest Eurozone countries, but kept options open even as he said Spain and Portugal were “not Greece”.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has moved to shore up the €110 billion EU/IMF rescue of Greece by offsetting the impact of the “junk” rating on the country’s debt.
Germany's cabinet has approved its contribution to the Eurozone and IMF bailout of Greece. The German parliament is set to pass the legislation later this week to allow its loan—worth 22.4 billion Euros over three years—to be paid.
International credit rating agency Standard and Poor's downgraded on Wednesday Spain's credit rating from “AA+” to “AA” with a negative outlook. The move comes a day after S&P gave Greek bonds a junk rating and lowered Portugal's credit rating from “A+” to “A-”.
The head of the International Monetary Fund has warned that the crisis in Greece could spread throughout Europe. Dominique Strauss-Kahn said that every day lost in resolving Greece's problems risks spreading the impact “far away”.
Shares across the globe fell sharply after German chancellor Angela Merkel said bond investors in Greece may have to take a hit even if a bail-out is agreed. With Merkel facing increased domestic opposition to the planned bailout and with elections imminent she has been talking tough, demanding Greece pay higher interest on any money it borrows than was originally agreed.
Brazil’s government may take additional steps to limit gains in the local currency Real should advanced economies favor policies that keep their currencies weak, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said.
If Greece was to default it would effectively spell the end of the Euro as a currency, according to Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) strategist and chief European economist Jacques Cailloux.
Greece has formally asked for the activation of an EU-IMF financial rescue package to help pull the debt-ridden economy out of its crisis. It had hoped that just the promise of EU support, agreed last month, would have been enough to reassure markets and help its recovery.