One more cue to how controversial government debt markets are in Euroland these days.
The European Commission’s progress report on Capital Markets Union, manages to make no reference whatsoever to the issue of government bond markets, their life after the ECB’s QE (bound to end someday) and their critical role in capital markets integration. It’s all about securitisation, corporate bond market liquidity and covered bonds.
Compare this with early views on what it takes to create a market-based financial system in Euroland. In May 1999, Alexandre Lamfalussy, recently appointed head of EuroMTS and former head of the European Monetary Institute (that would become the ECB), had this to say:
“We’ve seen an accelerated move to a market-centric system from the bank-centric system that has tended to prevail in Europe,” Lamfalussy said in London last month. “I have no doubt that a market-centric system is more efficient, but there’s a question whether it is stable.” The key to stability, he concludes – for the pricing of corporate as well as public debt – is a liquid and transparent government debt market.’
This is a story of shadow money – the ongoing struggle to define a social contract for liabilities issued against sovereign collateral.
Critical Macro Finance 
I don’t really understand money, except there is usually more month left than I have money for.
BUT I do understand why Europe loves debt. Especially their banks.
Debt generates wealth. Not for the poor sap in debt but for the money lenders.
Scale that up to a national debt and of course those in charge won’t speak of it.
They own the money lenders.
LikeLike