Europe Reaches For Shields Against Enormous Bank Runs

By Cornelius Nunev


Things may get even worse before they get better in the European financial crisis, Reuters reports. The European Central Bank is pressuring for a joint guarantee on bank deposits across the euro zone, amid fears that bank runs will spread like wildfire as investors head for the hills. Top economic official of the European Commission Olli Rehn warned that without additional monetary discipline, Europe will go down into a financial chasm.

Worrying about the banks

Concerns about whether Spain's banking system will fail and whether Greece will survive in the euro area at all have deflated the value of euro currency to a two-year low against the United States dollar. Searching for a comparatively secure investment, European speculators have funneled their cash into Austrian and French bonds, whose 10-year yields are at their low mark since the introduction of the euro.

Spanish banks moved huge amounts of cash abroad in March at a rate faster than has been recorded since record-keeping of such transactions began in 1990, notes the Associated Press. The country's fourth-largest lender, Bankia, reportedly was nationalized in May due to massive losses following a real estate crash. As much as $82 billion in net capital has been lost by Spanish banks in recent months.

No bailout for you

To be able to keep the European economy from getting even worse, there were rumors that there may be a Spanish bank bailout from IMF. This was denied by International Monetary Funding Managing Director Christine Lagarde.

"There is no such plan. We have not received any request to that effect and we are not doing any work in relation to any financial support," said Lagarde.

A referendum in Ireland would make it easier for the European Union to offer aid to Ireland voters, according to the New York Times. There is also an election in Greece on June 17 that will go a long ways towards to euro zone for the nation. Right now, the bank bailout favoring New Democracy party is beating the SYRIZA leftists, which is a good thing for people who want bank bailouts.

Take a look at clarity

According to Mario Draghi, European Central Bank President, nations have to be put in order with the Euro quickly by European leaders. Not every person in the euro zone will get help and economic policy from the ECB.

"We will avoid bank runs from solvent banks. Depositors' money will be protected if we build this European guaranteed deposit fund. This will assure that depositors will be protected," said Draghi.

While the ECB is pushing for a joint deposit guarantee for depositors, Germany is not sold. As the paymaster of the European Union, Germany has been unwilling to risk more of its own taxpayers' cash to prop up the union. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe should consider all options.

"There are integration steps which will require treaty changes. We are not at that stage today but nevertheless there are no taboos," she said at a news conference.

Stemming the tide

Draghi testified before EU lawmakers that the European financial crisis has set financiers throughout the euro zone on edge, but that caution is not what's required at this time.

"I urge all governments to keep this in mind, because it is better to err by too much in the very beginning rather than by too little," he said, citing the recent failures of Spain's Bankia and the French-Belgian bank Dexia.




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