In July, 2011 Eurozone’s 17 member countries agreed to give Greece a m

In July, 2011 Eurozone’s 17 member countries agreed to give Greece a massive financial bailout worth more than 150 billion dollars to try to rescue Greece’s shaken economy. In this respect, which of the following statements is/are correct ?

  • 1. This is for the first time Greece has been given financial bailout by other European countries.
  • 2. Private lenders including banks are also pledging support which will give Greece easier repayment terms.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2011
Statement 1 is incorrect. Greece had received a financial bailout package from the Eurozone and IMF in May 2010, prior to the July 2011 agreement. Therefore, the July 2011 bailout was not the first time Greece was given financial assistance by other European countries.
Statement 2 is correct. The July 2011 bailout package involved significant private sector involvement. Private creditors, including banks, were indeed asked to contribute to the rescue by accepting a voluntary exchange of Greek bonds for new bonds with longer maturities and lower interest rates (often referred to as a “haircut” or debt restructuring), which effectively provided Greece with easier repayment terms.
The Greek sovereign debt crisis led to multiple bailout packages from Eurozone countries and the IMF. The 2011 bailout involved mandatory private sector participation in debt restructuring.
The Eurozone crisis was a multi-year period (roughly 2009-2012) involving difficulties for several Eurozone member countries (including Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Cyprus) in financing their government debt or sustaining their banking sectors. The bailouts were aimed at preventing sovereign defaults and stabilizing the Eurozone.