The year has barely started and euro-rescue VIPs
already have a full schedule. January is packed with events because
European governments have yet to get a convincing handle of their
debt crisis. Here's an overview of the most important eurozone debt
crisis dates through the end of the month:
January 11 - German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Italian Prime
Minister Mario Monti in Berlin to discuss further steps to deal with
the crisis.
January 11 -- Germany plans to raise fresh funds by auctioning
5-year bonds worth around 4 billion euros (5.1 billion dollars).
January 11 -- Spanish parliament debates its latest austerity
package in Madrid. The package, which the government finalized at the
end of 2011, is expected to pass thanks to the ruling conservative
People's Party's legislative majority.
January 12 -- The European Central Bank, in Frankfurt, sets the
eurozone interest rate, currently at a record low of 1 percent.
Analysts don't expect another cut.
January 12 -- German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (CDU)
meets with his French counterpart Francois Baroin in Paris to
discuss, among other topics, a financial transaction tax.
January 12 -- Italy, which has faced market pressure over concerns
that it might become the next victim of the eurozone crisis, is to
bring 12 billion euros of bonds to market. Spain auctions debt of yet
undetermined volume. A day later, more Italian bonds - worth up to 7
billion euros - are to be offered.
January 16 -- The IMF, ECB and EU Commission troika examines the
Greek government's austerity progress in Athens.
January 16 -- Some of the newly raised money must be spent right
away: an Italian bond worth 7.7 billion dollars comes due.
January 23/24 -- Meeting of the eurozone and EU finance ministers
in Brussels, with the debt crisis once again headlining the agenda.
January 30 -- Special summit of EU leaders in Brussels. It is being
touted as an opportunity to tackle growth and employment, but the
main topics are also expected to include a new eurozone 'fiscal
compact' that is meant to introduce greater budget discipline.
January 31 -- Another Italian bond, this one worth 7.5 billion
euros, comes due.
