NO BAILOUT NEEDED: Spain’s finance minister insisted Wednesday that the country does not need a full-blown bailout, even as the country’s borrowing costs remained at high levels.
THE DETAILS: Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro told Parliament that Spain won’t need the same kind of assistance that Greece, Ireland and Portugal requested “because it does not need to be rescued.” The interest rate on the Spanish benchmark 10-year bond fell 22 basis points to 6.78 percent, below the 7 percent level it has been hovering above since Monday.
THE REALITY: After years of insisting its banks were among the healthiest in Europe, Spain recently acknowledged it will need a rescue package to protect the sector from a property boom that went bust in 2008. Investors are concerned that the country itself may have to be bailed out and this could seriously test the strength of the entire European Union’s finances.
