Germany is a reluctant supporter of the EU funds which are being used in the ‘bailout’ of Ireland, and it insists on strict ‘austerity’ conditions, concerned about risk and moral hazard. However, through its central bank, Germany is lending €325bn (December 2010) to other central banks...

The public debt of Greece to foreign governments, including debt to the EU/IMF loan facility and debt through the eurosystem, rose from €47.8bn to €180.5bn between January 2010 and September 2011. €17.1bn of the rise in eurosystem debt was due to an 86% increase in the Greek issue of euro...

Since September 2015, the European Central Bank has been publishing Target2 balances of the eurozone national central banks. But this presents an incomplete picture of intra-eurosystem debts because it does not include those arising from the issue of banknotes. The ECB also plays down the...

Loans to Italy from other eurozone countries will not increase their risk exposure, irrespective of the method of financing. This is because loans will displace an equal amount of Italy’s Target2 debt, leaving unchanged the total claim of the eurozone creditors. Italy currently has Target2...