Free exchange | The euro crisis

Finito?

Italy's troubles, and the euro zone's, are growing

By R.A. | WASHINGTON

SILVIO BERLUSCONI'S promise to resign has done nothing to calm European bond markets. Italian bond yields are soaring today; both the two-year and the ten-year are above 7%. There are rumours that the ECB is in the market and buying heavily. If so, it's not having the desired effect. The ECB can't hope to keep yields reasonable through brute force. It will need to make an expectations-changing announcement. Will it? Italy's yields aren't the only ones rising. Markets are ditching Irish, Spanish, Belgian, and French debt too. The ten-year Treasury is back below 2%.

Yesterday, I wondered why equities weren't falling. Today, they are. But I think Tim Duy is on to something here:

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