The Debts of the Spenders: EU Hawkish On Inflation

Can the EU contain inflation? The bond markets don't think so. Since all their attention is focused on the "big boys" (US, UK, Japan, and ARGUABLY Germany) who are engaged in quantitative easing programs of some sort, this naturally leaves the smaller players struggling for the table scraps left behind by bond bulls.

Case in pt: Trichet remains scared of the diverging bond yields in the Eurozone. This is why he has strongly hinted that he will NOT cut rates next week. Then again the EU interest rate decision is made BY COMMITTEE - a 22 member committe that is. Can these fools do anything right?

Not when their self interest conflicts w/others. Interest rate cuts would PENALIZE the peripheral members - those w/the biggest public debt exposure and weakest capital markets (such as Spain, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, and Italy ). At the same time, lower rates would reward those core states w/sufficient access to capital markets and (relatively) lower public deficits (such as France and Germany). I say "relatively" because all of the socialist EU member states have heavy exposure to public debt but the economic "core" of France and Germany are more integrated w/global capital markets.