Thursday, August 2, 2012

Don't Believe The ECB Hype

The markets and some commentators are trying to delude themselves that the ECB will finally do something tangible to "save" the Euro.

ECB President, Mario Draghi, has managed to con some people who should know better into believing that the ECB will conduct a major bond purchasing campaign. In theory the bond buying campaign will reduce the interest rates of Spain and Italy (note Greece is not included, because it has been thrown to the wolves) and thus save the Euro.

However, people are ignoring the two very large elephants in the room:

1 Any such decision and action to buy bonds will not occur until after 12 September, when Germany’s top court rules on the ratification of the ESM. This being over a month away means that Spain and Italy, because of crippling interest rates, will most likely have imploded by them.

2 Germany’s top court may well not ratify the ESM. Even if it does, all 17 eurozone members would need to agree to it as well. Fat chance!

Therefore, don't believe the ECB hype.

The Euro, in its present form, is finished!