The Slovak Parliament has not met Tuesday night a sufficient majority to adopt the strengthening of the European Relief Fund. The opposition Social Democrats said it was ready to vote in exchange for early elections. Slovak and European flags fly over the castle of Bratislava
As feared, the Slovak Parliament rejected on Tuesday the strengthening of the Financial Assistance Fund of the countries in the euro area, potentially exacerbating the debt crisis. There is indeed no "plan B" to circumvent the veto.
"Of the 124 deputies present, 55 elected officials voted in favor, 9 against and 60 did not vote," noted the Vice-Speaker of Parliament Pavol Hrusovsky, after the vote. Without the 22 members of the SAS did not participate in voting, the coalition could not consider getting a required majority of 76 elected members.
Considering that the Slovaks are too poor to pay for the mistakes of others, Richard Sulik, the leader of this party, opposed the EFSF, unless that Slovakia is provided to pay his bill, an event swept by Brussels.
The result of this vote should logically lead to the collapse of the center-right party Radicova Ms. Iveta SDKU-DS who had associated with a motion of confidence in his cabinet.
EU leaders decided on July 21 to give the EFSF new powers including increasing its lending capacity to 440 billion euros. An envelope that could be used to recapitalize European banks.
But to become effective, these measures were to be ratified by the parliaments of 17 countries in the euro area, which had set up in mid-October. Sixteen countries have already approved these changes, Slovakia is the only one to refuse to ratify it.Bratislava had already refused to participate at the forefront of aid to Greece decided in spring 2010.
Strengthening the EFSF represents a contribution of 7.7 billion euros for this small country, entered the eurozone in 2009. Given the risk of paralysis, Bratislava has raised the possibility of a second parliamentary vote, in which the opposition Social Democratic Party (Smer-SD) could support the strengthening of EFSF. No date has been set for that vote.
The leader of the opposition Smer-Social Democrats SDn Robert Fico, former prime minister, warned that he would abstain from voting on Tuesday but could then provide support to the government in a second vote provided that early elections are held.
The European Commission had in turn put pressure indicating "strongly hopes" a positive vote to help ensure "the stability of the euro area".Monetary union is by no means destitute. But she should return to EFSF old formula, with a lending capacity and lower private supposed to allow new tools to stem contagion from the crisis in countries like Spain and Italy.
Already, the decisions taken on July 21 are partly obsolete. On the one hand, the EFSF will have probably still be muscular to leverage its clout to reassure markets on its ability to cope with a possible spread of the crisis in Italy or Spain.
On the other hand, the leader of the finance ministers of the euro area Jean-Claude Juncker acknowledged Monday that the losses will suffer the creditor banks in Greece are likely to be greater than expected.
Made outstanding contributions in the second aid package to Greece, decided July 21, banks had committed to eventually accept a depreciation of 21% of their portfolio of Greek bonds, in order to relieve Athens , awash in debt of close to 350 billion euros. But this figure of 21% now seems outdated. "The discussions focus on a discount of 50%" today, said a European government source told AFP.
If this threshold is reached, Greece would move to a default similar to Argentina in 2001. The country's creditors in the end had to accept a discount of about 70% on a debt four times less than that of Athens.
Greece, however, snatched on Tuesday troika comprising its creditors (European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) the promise of payment in November of 8 billion euros.
This will prevent an immediate collapse and allows it to buy time in negotiations to restructure its debt in the euro area. The fears weighing on the banking system led the Europeans to agree to recapitalize their banks. The Commission President José Manuel Barroso, will also Wednesday "proposals" in that it will present to the Commissioners.