Foreign investors holding French bonds are worried that the current political instability in France could trigger a European debt crisis similar to that experienced over a decade ago, according to Gregor Hirt, Head of Multi-Asset Investments at Allianz Global Investors. With €156 billion in assets under management, Hirt points out that France has a larger share of foreign bond investors than its G10 peers, raising concerns about the potential consequences of ongoing political turmoil.
France, a key country for eurozone stability
To prevent a potential rise in bond yield spreads, the French authorities need to reassure international investors that the country’s finances are stable. France is an indispensable partner for Germany and the European Union, without which integration and the sharing of additional risks will not be possible. A sufficiently mainstream government is essential if France is to continue to be perceived as a “core” country in the euro zone, rather than a “peripheral” one, despite its strained public finances.
The risks of a new debt crisis
Investors fear that a far-right election victory could further deteriorate France’s debt situation, potentially putting Paris on a collision course with Brussels. Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minister, warned on Friday that France risked a financial crisis if Marine Le Pen won. Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank, said that if Le Pen’s party took control of parliament and investors fled, the situation “could easily turn into a Liz Truss-style financial crisis”.
The importance of reassuring markets
Analysts agree that early elections represent a dangerous moment for France and the continent as a whole. Krishna Guha, analyst at Evercore ISI, said that the early elections had resurfaced “a toxic set of risks that threatens a prolonged phase of dysfunction in the EU and, in the worst case, could threaten a new euro crisis”. To avoid another debt crisis, it is crucial that the French authorities reassure investors of the stability of their public finances over the coming weeks.
