Debt Default Fears Will Spread to US and Japan, Warns Citigroup's Willem Buiter

     

Fears about the finances of eurozone nations will spread around the world to engulf the US and Japan, former Bank of England policy maker Willem Buiter has warned.

Worries about the risk of a sovereign state defaulting on its debt, which thrust the eurozone into crisis, will soon encompass the two major economies as well, according to Citigroup economists led by Mr Buiter, who sat on the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee.

The team has published a note forecasting much more strife to come in the wake of Greece and Ireland’s recent bail-outs and eurozone governments’ borrowing costs hitting record highs.

"Despite the recent drama, we believe we have only seen the opening and second act, with the rest of the plot still evolving," the team wrote. "There is no absolutely safe sovereigns."

There are likely to be several sovereign debt restructurings in the next few years, the analysts said, with Portugal likely to need to access the emergency funding facilities soon.

Against this backdrop, the US and Japan – dubbed the "fiscal sustainability deniers" – cannot keep ignoring the question of how safe their public finances are, the team said.

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January 10, 2011