ATHENS, Greece — European leaders insist they want to keep Greece in the eurozone, but are putting off any agreement on how they hope to accomplish that. Greece says it, too, wants to stay in the eurozone, but until after elections it’s uncertain whether it can implement the austerity that Europe has set as a condition for doing so.
ATHENS, Greece — Critical talks to form a governing coalition in crisis-struck Greece foundered once more, leading the country one step closer to new elections — and bringing its continued presence in the euro into serious doubt.
Late last week and over the weekend, a flurry of developments related to the near and longer term economic outlook took place, most of which could be a cause for concern.
PARIS — The day after Francois Hollande rode to power in France on a slogan of “change now,” the conversation in Europe was already different Monday: Austerity had become a dirty word.
Europe is economically big — very big. The 17 nation euro-zone is approximately equal to the size of the U.S. economy (depending upon how valuations are calculated in terms of currency conversions), and the more comprehensive 27 nation European Union (EU) is even bigger still. Given the tremendous economic interdependencies among countries of the world, when an economy as large as either of the above entities begins to experience significant economic problems, it is just a matter of time until those difficulties will be transmitted to the rest of the world.
FRANKFURT, Germany — Europe’s plan to fix its debt crisis by imposing budget cuts frayed Monday. Heavy selling rocked financial markets, uncertainty gripped two governments, and the economic outlook darkened across the continent.
WASHINGTON — The managing director of the International Monetary Fund called on the world’s developed nations on Tuesday to “increase our firepower” to better confront global financial strains like those now in play in Greece and several other Eurozone nations.
BRUSSELS — The countries that use the euro pulled Greece back from an imminent and potentially catastrophic default on Tuesday, when they finally stitched together a euro130 billion ($170 billion) rescue they hope will also provide a lifeline to their common currency.