Greek interest rates continue to climb. They achieve this Thursday morning the world record to 7.49% on bonds with 10 years more distant than ever from the benchmark, the German Bund. The rates at 2-year yields have exceeded long, touching 7.80%, suggesting the market concerns over the short term. The news from Athens did not contribute to calm markets, while the Board of Governors of the European Central Bank (ECB) was to meet Thursday.
The cost of insurance on compulsory Greek (CDS, credit default swaps ") also jumped Thursday morning, also reaching record levels at more than 470 basis points, the credit information specialist CMA News. "The market moves very quickly," says Markit News on Twitter.
Greece is still contineur to borrow, said Thursday morning the Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou before Parliament.
Contamination
"The Greek problem begins to contaminate other peripheral markets such as Spain and Portugal, where the rates differ from the Bund," says Patrick Jacq, a strategist at BNP Paribas rate, which emphasizes that the volumes traded bonds Greek since Thursday morning are very low. "As regards Greece, the current movements are not yet dramatic macroeconomic consequence.Athens has enough to cope with higher current levels, which represent, in the case of bond issuance, an additional cost after all low in comparison to 10 billion euros to be in the coming weeks. "
After rumors of Greek opposition to the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in case of intervention, the Greek banks are finding themselves the center of attention. The Financial Times reports that in a recent face withdrawals totaling 10 billion euros since the beginning of the year. It does not take more than some analysts to fear a flight of capital.
Testing the limits
But the sudden movement on the debt market would also be Greek, or even primarily, due to investors forced to sell the Greek titles of their portfolio because of excessive volatility.Investors also want to test the rescue plan put together by the European Union, and know from what level of rates will be raised.
This is a matter of weeks, said Laurent Bilke, Europe economist at Nomura. He said the level of rates and especially the volatility in the market make it impossible to bond issue in the short term. Nothing, however, should occur before the regional elections in Germany in Westphalia on May 9, given the opposition of the public to any plan for Greece.
In this tense context, the ECB president, Jean-Claude Trichet, should be questioned about the crisis in Greek at the monthly press conference on Thursday."He should face questions on media reports that the ECB considers to be both too vague in terms of European aid and inappropriate intervention by the IMF," say economists at Societe Generale in a note.
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"Greece:" The market is disconnected from reality "
The mobilization will she go in this Tuesday, two days in a large loss of the right in regional elections? Six unions (CFDT, CGT, FOR, FSU, UNSA, Solidaires) called on employees of public and private to a national day of action aimed at influencing government policy on political and social. If it comes shortly after the regional elections, the appointment union had however taken immediately after the Social Summit in February, meeting at the initiative of the Head of State to discuss, among other things, the upcoming construction of the reform pensions.
Tuesday afternoon, thousands of demonstrators began to march throughout France. If the number of participants were not recorded in Paris, 10,000 people marched in Nantes by the CGT, the police still had no figures available. They were at Le Mans 7000, according to police, 2000 in Vannes, according to unions.In Rennes, the mobilization seemed weaker. Also according to police, Lyon accounted as 10,000 demonstrators, Grenoble 5000, and Saint-Etienne 4400.
The strike of civil servants was also relatively followed in mid-day. The department estimated that 21% the proportion of striking teachers, estimated at 40% for the SNES-FSU, a rate higher than the previous mobilizations. 11.45% of the postal employees were also mobilized by the leadership. At the station, the strike rate was estimated at 28% by management, and 32% by the CGT. At RATP, it would amount to 14% depending on the direction, the CGT-RATP not yet have figures to communicate.
Pension reform crystallized discontent
Two main points today crystallize opposition from unions, following a government reshuffle.
• Pensions: major point of contention between the unions and the government, the pension reform was launched at the Social Summit in February. While the dialogue should begin early April, several union leaders have spoken about this on Tuesday, sending a warning to the government. The CFDT leader Francois Ch?r?que has called for a reform that reduces inequality. "Of course we must change our pension system, but it does not evolve towards greater social justice, this is again a loss of confidence in politics" best payday advance !!!???!!!?? ?!!!. Therefore, it could "be the sport at a social level," he warns.Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of FP, for his part reiterated on Tuesday his commitment to the LCI retirement at age 60, holding "absurd" the solution of longer working hours to alleviate the funding problems induced by the lengthening of life expectancy. "If we follow this logic, women live longer should work longer," he argued. As for Bernard Thibault, leader of the CGT, he believes "we can not impose reform on accounting criteria exclusively, also challenging the objectivity of the Advisory Committee of pensions. "This appointment will be very difficult to carry," he predicted. Probably heard a speech by the new Labor Minister, Eric Woerth, who insisted on Tuesday on the need to "protect" the current system "an equitable reform.
• Employment: while the unemployment rate back above the 10% in the fourth quarter of 2009, the CFDT called for taking further steps to assist employees affected by the crisis. Pleading for an appeal to partial unemployment, training rather than dismissal, the leader of the CFDT has also called for financial support purchasing power and resources center for sustainable employment. The employees "have the feeling that we no longer speak of their real situation since September. An impression they would have in his Sunday expressed through the ballot box. The government must now "give strong signals, and change of method," he said. A view shared by the leader of the CGT, Bernard Thibault, who on Tuesday urged the convening of a new social summit at the Elysee.The meeting, a time desired by the head of state says he would aim to "take stock of the situation regarding employment, economic and social policy and purchasing power for practical decisions for implementing fast.
Economic conditions continued to improve in the United States in January-February, "although harsh snowstorms in early February have dampened activity in several regions," according to the Beige Book released Wednesday by the U.S. central bank (Fed).
The document states that the activity has increased in nine of the twelve regions (by cutting the Fed), but that "in most cases, these improvements were small.
The information provided by the Beige Book are very important because they serve as a reference to the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Fed scheduled for March 16, which will decide on changes in interest rates.
Regarding the labor market, for which the Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, gave recently bleak outlook before Congress, the document notes that "the pace of layoffs has slowed in most regions, but that hiring plans of companies remain "soft in general."
As for expenditure on household consumption, traditional engine of growth of the country which is struggling to regain its role, they "grew slightly in many areas, but have been hampered in some by the snowfalls of early check cash advance