The euro was in serious trouble, buffeted by rumors of imminent banking collapses. Bond yields in southern Europe were rising, and a pervasive sense of apprehension and fear cloaked governments in European capitals.
这就是欧洲领袖们在去年夏天所面对的情况。当时欧元正面临着巨大的麻烦，又遭到四处流传的银行系统崩溃谣言的连续打击。南欧国家债券的收益率不断攀升，各国政府内部都笼罩着忧虑和恐惧的气氛。而唯独缺少的则是政治领导力。