Trial by fire will not take long for the new fiscal pact of the euro. The Greek case almost settled, Spain came to test budgetary discipline endorsed ten days ago the top twenty-five twenty-seven EU countries.
The Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has opened Pandora's box by informing the press that the deficit would reach 5.8% Spanish this year, instead of 4.4% agreed with the European Commission. Madrid has aggravated his case by adding it as a "sovereign decision" taken, ie, without further consideration for collective discipline introduced under pressure from Germany.
"The paths taken in 2012 are the least important"
Met on Monday, the finance ministers of the euro area have agreed to a request from Spain but have reduced the target to 5.3% of GDP. To the President of the Eurogroup, that is not essential: the priority is to reach Madrid 3% deficit in 2013. "We agreed that Spain will meet the deficit target of 3.0% (GDP) in 2013 and will, from today and until then, a consolidation course of the about 0.5% of GDP, "he said. He added: "It is the responsibility of the Spanish authorities to identify initiatives to be taken to reduce the budget deficit in 2012, is the most important objective for 2013. What is less important, although still important, are the paths taken in 2012. "
Subsidies removed
Echoing the debate on Greece, the case questions the wisdom of budget cutting in an economy already mired in recession. This is the dilemma of the Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy: a Spaniard in four is now unemployed.
Conversely, the Eurogroup can tolerate an exception to the pact, while text remains to ratify everywhere, including in Berlin? "Spain is not alone in this situation," worries a diplomat, recalling that 23 of the 27 EU countries are still in deficit "excessive". Hungary may be deprived of 495 million euros of EU subsidies in 2013 if it fails to take prompt corrective measures. The Netherlands themselves, heralds of the orthodox, must cut their credit crash.
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