Where do you stand?

Will the euro survive 2012 intact?

MOST people are assuming that, in the end, European leaders will do whatever it takes to save the single currency. That is because the consequences of the euro's destruction are so catastrophic that no sensible policymaker could stand by and let it happen. But so far, they do not seem prepared to pay the price. Will the euro survive 2012 intact?

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Voting opened on Dec 26th 2011

Readers' comments



Euro zone crises has little to do with the Euro, the Europeans have to look at fundamentals of their way of living. Are they inventing or inovating enough? Are they working hard enough? Are they spending more than they are earning?
Why not develop more infrastructure? Why not open more markets for European products in Asia or Africa? Why not spend more time developing new ideas or traveling more like their forefathers did?
The important thing is not to blame the Euro or control budgets. It is better to let the necessity of the today's time be a mother for better inventions, which the Europeans led the world a few centuries ago.

Alan M Brighton

One thing that gets forgotten is that Greece does not owe one penny, Euro or Dollar to Germany or France, so in that respect it is no more Merkel or Sarkhozy's business than it is anyone elses.
They do owe money to banks that were careless with loans and happen to be based in those countries.


Pumps, I just challenged you for a game of chess. :-)

Nikita Guzev

I absolutely sure that euro will survive. Government of such a big countries as Germany, France and Italy just won't allow the currency to even weaken not to say nothing of its destruction and will make whatever it needs to save the currency.
But it is very disputable issue if all of 17 countries still will be in the euro area. I don't think so..


If the euro disappear, the politicians will create their "brand new never-failing" currency. The single currency is more than an economic choice.


Anton F. Börner sums up the German position as such:

“The fact that we massively profit from the Euro does not mean that we have to agree to any kind of horse trade to save the common currency. Germany is fighting for the Euro because its demise would make us pay a massive economic price and have incalculable political consequences. A Euro-Out would open the flood gates for re-nationalization and protectionism. At the end we would experience the balkanization and marginalization of the Euro.”

He is right, of course, and it seems that Monti is playing some kind of poker game whilst over looking that Italy also is in the same boat and has as much, if not more, to lose. It is Italy's move now and this can only mean REAL reforms.


Euro split oncoming as German economy too strong for euro ship sailing into Med rock of bankruptcy;abandon euro poor Piigs?
Let AA- France suffer German austerity;Schadefreude Merkozy!



I've been thinking about Monti's declarations over the last hour. I think I understand the point.
He is not so stupid as to believe or say needlessly that if Germany does not help out Italians will be protesting in the streets (a ridiculous proposition - given the sullen state of innere emigranten our people have been living in under Berlusconi; plus, anti-German opinion is just not that strong here.)

Monti is speaking publicly in code. And I suppose he will speak privately in more frank tones. What he is really saying to Merkel is, "Help me out or Berlusconi will be able to sell to the Italian public the story that it is all a conspiracy by Germany and the ratings agencies."
In his defence, let's remember that Monti was already semi-retired (comfortably), will have a wonderful pension as Senator-for-Life, and has already announced he will NOT be running for office at next elections (no further than 16 months away by law and potentially much closer). In other words, ultimately he can walk away from it all and go live in the Cayman Islands or the Maldives or even somewhere on the Baltic Sea. He himself does not need to beg for anything, not having to face elections.

mashed potatoes in reply to MilovanDjilas

Mario Monti is a fool. His comments do not avoid populism, they support it, and not only in Italy but also in Germany. He should be more carefull and think twice.

Read this carefully, Monti's lates comments are responsible that a second (!) powerful industry boss in Germany is publicly questioning the Euro BECAUSE OF THE BLACKMAILING FROM THE SOUTH (MONTI):

mashed potatoes in reply to MilovanDjilas

Mario Monti is a fool. His comments do not avoid populism, they support it, and not only in Italy but also in Germany. He should be more carefull and think twice what bullshit he is saying.

Read this carefully, Monti's latest comments are the reason that already a second (!) powerful industry boss in Germany is publicly questioning the Euro BECAUSE OF THE BLACKMAILING FROM THE SOUTH (read: MONTI):



Component activities of organized crime, have a character secret and well organized, of which case made a social impact very negative, in many states he constituting "cancer perfidious" which weakens the power society, threaten the integrity of government, cause increase taxes which adds the price of goods, endanger safety and jobs of citizens, cause damage businesses are in competition, control by force of moneyunions,finally achieving a strong influence in the sphere of economy, social and especially political.

Romania is a mafia state with not working administration governed by organized crime.

Human trafficking in Romania is a state policy and a modern retail which feed corruption and organized crime. Organized crime is constantly looking for legitimate business that could be used as a cover.
According to data held by the Italian authorities in Roma: 85% of prostitutes in Rome are romanian woman. In Milano: eight of ten prostitutes which practice “job” in Milano are romanian woman including Ioana Visan, Berlusconi's hooker from Curtea de Arges (Curtea de Arges, pimps factory from Romania, manager: local corrupt police). Behind such companies, actually hiding network specializing in recruitment of girls who end up prostitute.
These companies are used as a mask, to support illegal activities, to wash the money, but also because leaders mobs to be seen as successful entrepreneurs.
Besides these companies, strongly related with them, in the town of Curtea de Arges-Romania exist more mafia groups(indestructible mafia groups because even the police are headed) which with the complicity of local taxi drivers, recruit, transport, and place girls to practice prostitution, girls which later are trafficked external in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, etc, by prostitution networks from Curtea de Arges.

...in Denmark, Romania is the country with the most prostitutes and according to Europol, Eurojust, The Times, CNN, the first exporter of prostitution in Europe is Romania.

Geert Wilders: Romania and Bulgaria should be excluded from the EU due to high corruption and irregularities which make them unsuitable as members of the EU

Ove Dahl, chief investigator of the Copenhagen Police: “Romanians are people without honor.Kill you for 15 euros. It's a completely different culture to our. Romanians are the best represented among offenders who come from outside.Since Romania joined the EU, romanians problems increased exponentially.They commit bank robbery, home robberies, serious theft, beg and break shops – all ”.
Rene Hansen officer from department to combat prostitution in Copenhagen:
"Life does not have the same value to them as for us is”.

MilovanDjilas in reply to bluesky89


Not that I am an expert in Italian prostitutes (ahem!) But I would challenge those statistics. The majority of prostitutes one sees in Italy are not Romanians. Latino Americans, Russians, Ukrainians and Africans (mostly Nigeria) are all much more visible. Also on the websites.

mashed potatoes

Blessing and Schäuble met yesterday: Not even Commerzbank will need help (so not any German bank at all) + ZEW economy index raised sharply this morning, we probably won't have a recession. Spain sold bonds very cheap this morning.

Only Monti is still chickening and tries to play with the Germans' guilt so that his colleges in parliament can continue earning more than Barack Obama and bying Maserati as business cars.


Let's give democracy a break for 6 months.

Call in S&Ps!!! and Moody's. They can govern us!

Perhaps Portugal can sell them cork-made paddles and can give us all a proper woopin' for being bad BAD boys. PIGS!

mashed potatoes

I just had a look at the stock markets, they are rallying after a very successful debt auction this morning. It seems to me that the Greek issue is the very last difficult one. It also seems that we have the acute crisis behind us, and hopefully the chickening is over soon.


I was giving some thought to it and things are more worrisome than what one would think.

I was, perhaps slightly like Holmes (or fancying myself like him) sitting on my sofa when I shouted to Watson - 'have you noticed how the international press is incredibly critical of all the governments, who even there to utter any criticism vis-à-vis the ratings agencies?'

(Watson obviously didn't have a reply for me, because there was no Watson and I was alone)

But seriously, give it some thought. Google government criticises S&P move, and read how the press is heavily negative on any specific government who 'dares to challenge the word of the ratings agencies'.

Elementary, My dear viva?

Are we already living in a dictatorship, and we're not even aware of it? Conspiracy theory, just like in Guy Ritchie's film, or plain reality?

Who's the Moriarty behind this move?

I've been playing chess awfully as of late, don't really know why, saw my rating go down by about 200 ... but I challenge you to guess the next move.

I say we're going back to greece. Prepare to hear a lot about it in the next weeks. A LOT. (and perhaps Portugal).

pumpernickel_2 in reply to Super-pedrolx2

"(Watson obviously didn't have a reply for me, because there was no Watson and I was alone)"


You should try marriage. Bobonne always has a reply for me and sometimes resorts to more atavistic methods, like the noodle roll, if her replies do not seem to penetrate my thick scull.

pumpernickel_2 in reply to Super-pedrolx2


Hope you are not playing against a computer. If you know an Internet site we might both enlist (sic) as pumpernickel and pedro and have a go. Would be fun to find out if my poetic mind would have a chance against your more scientific brain.


Yes. Europe will survive intact but perhaps not the entire Eurozone. The fringe countries are likely to get sheared off.


With petty politicians like that, and a spoiled aging arrogant opopulation, what can you expect?


The Euro was a good idea with poor execution. In the end tax payers are no longer willing to foot the bill for it.


Stop the press with spreading only bad and negative news...this issue is not comprehensily for every citizen in Europe. The press makes is sensational for nothing....stop and spread the good news. We all have food, water and a roof above our head. This is not bad...it is different than we are used to have. Wake up people. Work, be attractive with your personal skills and look forward. We need a better and more positive sentiment! Paul Brussaard Netherlands


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