A QUEDA DO IMPÉRIO :

YouTube VIDEO - Market Watch, EuroNews - Jul 2013 - clik 1 - clik 2 - clik 3.
França rebaixada de novo.
France lost the last of its major AAA ratings on Friday in a blow to President Francois Hollande as his government battles to rein in public finances and kickstart the stalled economy. Fitch cut France’s credit rating by one notch to AA-plus, citing a deteriorating debt outlook and an uncertain economic environment as the euro zone crisis risked flaring up anew. 

The euro zone’s second-largest economy, which fell into a shallow recession in the first quarter of the year, had already lost its prized AAA ratings with S&P and Moody’s last year. In explaining its cut, Fitch cited a slew of causes for concern including a weaker economic output, a jump in the French unemployment rate, budget deficits and subdued external demand. Risks to fiscal projections “lie mainly to the downside,” the rating agency said in a statement, keeping a stable outlook on its new rating. “A debt ratio that is higher for longer reduces the fiscal space to absorb further adverse shocks,” it said. 

Fitch raised its estimate for how long it will take France to shave down its debt, forecasting it would peak at 96 percent of gross domestic product next year and still be as high as 92 percent in 2017. The government projects its efforts to whittle down public spending will have cut its debt to just over 88 percent by then. Standard & Poor’s rates France at AA-plus with a negative outlook. Moody’s rates it Aa1 with a negative outlook, meaning both agencies see another rating cut likely.