欧洲对政府支出以及债务水平的担忧星期四进一步加剧, 在欧洲领导人准备举行首脑会议讨论这一危机时，西班牙的信贷评级被降级。
穆迪投资者服务公司把西班牙的信贷评级下调了一个等级, 至Aa2级，并警告说可能会进一步降级。这个信贷评级公司说，它认为西班牙将不得不花费政府预计280亿美元的两倍多资金来对西班牙储蓄银行的财务状况进行重组。
欧洲领导人计划星期五在布鲁塞尔举行会议，帮助制订对付一些欧洲国家政府债务问题的新计划，尤其是处在欧洲边缘地带的希腊、爱尔兰、葡萄牙和西班牙。希腊和爱尔兰去年不情愿的接受了救助资金来对付他们的债务问题。一些欧洲官员说，他们担心葡萄牙可能是下一个国家。里斯本政府坚决拒绝接受这个看法。
欧盟领导人可以采取一些措施，在17个使用欧元的国家实施统一的支出做法。但是对欧洲大陆两个最强大经济体德国和法国提议的财政紧缩措施则普遍反对。那些政府债务正在迅速扩大的国家说，如果制订一个涉及整个大陆的紧缩计划，他们担心失去作为一个国家的自治权和声望。
Europe’s worries over government spending and debts heightened on Thursday, with Spain’s credit standing downgraded as the continent’s leaders get set for a summit to deal with the crisis.
Moody’s Investors Service cut Spain’s credit rating one notch to Aa2 and warned of possible further downgrades. The ratings service said it believes Spain will have to spend more than double the $28 billion the government estimates it will cost to restructure the finances of Spanish savings banks.
European leaders are planning to meet Friday in Brussels to help shape a new plan to deal with the government debts of some of the continent’s countries, particularly those on the geographic periphery in Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Greece and Ireland reluctantly accepted bailouts last year to deal with their debt issues, and some European officials say they fear the Portugal could be next. The Lisbon government has staunchly rejected that view.
EU leaders could adopt some measures in an attempt to impose uniform spending practices in the 17 nations that use the euro currency. But there have been wide objections to an austerity plan proposed by Germany and France, the continent’s two strongest economies. Countries with burgeoning government debts say they are worried about a loss of autonomy and prestige if a continent-wide plan emerges.