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Greek downgrade sparks eurozone anger
AFP - Wednesday, June 16
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Greek downgrade sparks eurozone anger
ATHENS (AFP) - – Eurozone officials on Tuesday denounced a sharp debt downgrade for Greece where officials insisted an EU-IMF-backed recovery plan was bearing fruit as they braced for street protests against austerity measures.
The move by ratings agency Moody's on Monday to cut Greek debt to junk status came as auditors from the EU and the IMF scrutinised claims by Greece that it was ahead of target in fighting its debt mountain and public deficit.
Olli Rehn, the EU's top economic commissioner, told the European parliament the Moody's decision was "surprising and highly unfortunate" and said it raised questions about the role of ratings agencies in the financial system.
Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the eurozone finance ministers' group, called the move "irrational," notably in light of substantial support for Greece from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
"I am totally convinced that ... a few months from now, the financial markets will see that they were wrong. They're misinterpreting the decisions which have been taken," he said.
Moody's said that considerable uncertainty about Greek plans, even with the help of a 110-billion-euro (135-billion-dollar) EU-IMF bailout package, to correct public finances justified the ratings cut.
"This uncertainty represents a risk that leads Moody's to believe that Greece's creditworthiness is now consistent with a Ba1 rating, a rating which incorporates a greater, albeit, low risk of default," it said.
The downgrade, from a rating of A3, means some investors will no longer be allowed to buy Greek debt under terms of their investment mandate and could lead to still higher borrowing costs for Athens if it goes to the markets for cash.
Moody's followed up with a decision Tuesday to downgrade the debt and deposit ratings of nine Greek banks, questioning the capacity of the Socialist government to support its banking network.
Analysts at Citigroup Global Markets warned that strains on the Greek banking system had intensified recently, with deposit outflows accelerating and banks increasing their holdings of Greek government bonds.
But the impact of both moves by Moody's is not likely to be as painful for Greece as were ratings agency downgrades earlier this year.
The Greek economy has been largely shielded by the EU-IMF bailout mechanism, which allows the government to by-pass the bond market and borrow at below-market rates.
In addition, the European Central Bank has extended easy credit terms to Greek banks and is buying government debt bonds.
"There has been so much negative comment about the fiscal position of Greece in the past few months that it would be an exaggeration to say that ... the downgrade of Greek debt to junk status by Moody's was a complete surprise," said analyst Jane Foley at Forex.com.
"That said, the news serves as a reminder that fears of a Greek default still exist and also of the depth of problems that still face the eurozone."
The euro, which fell against the dollar early in the day Tuesday, later clawed its way back above 1.23 dollars on Tuesday as investors shrugged off the downgrade.
But the yield, or interest, that Greece would have to pay to raise money on the international bond market jumped to 9.060 percent on 10-year paper Tuesday from 8.302 percent on Monday, signalling continued investor nervousness.
The Greek government insisted that the downgrade "in no way reflects the progress we have made in the last few months, nor the opportunities opened by our budgetary stabilisation."
The Greek press took up the theme on Tuesday, with the pro-government paper Ta Nea accusing Moody's of "sabotage"
The liberal Kathimerini described the move as "a blow below the belt."
Investors nonetheless remain uneasy in the face of concerns that the government's remedy mix of tax rises, wage freezes and spending cuts could provoke social unrest. Recent months have seen a wave of strikes and protests and unions are planning fresh demonstrations on Wednesday.
But Greece is apparently having some success in attracting foreign investment.
China now plans to invest billions of euros in shipping, logistics and airport projects in Greece, with investment deals due to be signed during a visit to Athens by Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang.
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