Inside the European Union, the ugly term PIGS (Portugal, Italy/Ireland, Greece, Spain) is now a commonplace, denoting countries that have endangered the euro’s stability and are forcing northern Europeans into costly bailouts. Where not long ago sunshine and solidarity were the order of the day, depression and confrontation are now the rule.
PIGS（葡萄牙、意大利/爱尔兰、希腊、西班牙）这一丑恶的名词在欧盟内部已经广为流传，指的是威胁欧元稳定，并迫使北欧人采取昂贵救援行动的国家。 不久前明媚的阳光和休戚与共的情感还是欧洲的主宰，而现在却是抑郁和对抗渐渐成为主流。 更糟的是，债务和信心危机也是欧盟自创立以来最严重的政治危机： 这次危机能否化解直接关系到欧盟本身的未来。