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‘Francogeddon’ sends city debts soaring

Following the shock move last week do unpeg the Swiss Franc (CHF) from the Euro, estimates suggest that debt in German municipalities has gone up by €2 billion, it was reported on Monday.

Published: 19 January 2015 11:05 CET

Photo: DPA

Taking out loans in Switzerland seemed like a safe bet not long ago: with low interest rates, a stable currency and less money required upfront to get a loan, it made sense for local governments to get money from Swiss banks to fund their budget gaps.

That's what many cities did, especially in the Ruhr area in western Germany along the Swiss border, racking up billions in CHF debt along the way.

The scheme's weakness was exposed when the Swiss National Bank made an unannounced move to let the Franc trade freely, as opposed to controlling its value against the euro by printing money to buy foreign currency.

Essen, for example, has seen its city-held debt suddenly soar by €70 million since the CHF shot up last week.

"It's a catastrophe," Essen treasurer Lars Martin Klieve told the Süddeutsche Zeitung on Monday.

According the paper, Essen holds around CHF450 million in debt. Before last week, it would have cost the city €374.3 million to pay off. After the rise of the Franc, the debt's value is €450 million.

At the time the loan was made, the debt was only worth €290 million.

Essen isn't the only city scrambling. Neighbouring Bochum also holds around €220 million in debts. Other communities too.

All told, experts estimated that German public debt has increased by €2 billion due to what is being called Francogeddon.

Germany's biggest bank, Deutsche Bank, was also hit, losing a reported €130 million in the Swiss change of policy.

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Output is expected to expand 0.3 percent this year, the economy ministry said, up from a prediction of 0.2 percent in February.

The slightly rosier picture comes after improvements in key indicators — from factory output to business activity — boosted hopes a recovery may be getting under way.

The German economy shrank slightly last year, hit by soaring inflation, a manufacturing slowdown and weakness in trading partners, and has acted as a major drag on the 20-nation eurozone.

But releasing its latest projections, the economy ministry said in a statement there were growing indications of a “turning point”.

“Signs of an economic upturn have increased significantly, especially in recent weeks,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck said at a press conference.

The ministry also cut its forecast for inflation this year to 2.4 percent, from a previous prediction of 2.8 percent, and sees the figure falling below two percent next year.

“The fall in inflation will lead to consumer demand — people have more money in their wallets again, and will spend this money,” said Habeck.

“So purchasing power is increasing, real wages are rising and this will contribute to a domestic economic recovery.”

Energy prices — which surged after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — had also fallen and supply chain woes had eased, he added.

Several months ago there had been expectations of a strong rebound in 2024, with forecasts of growth above one percent, but these were dialled back at the start of the year as the economy continued to languish.

‘Germany has fallen behind’

But improving signs have fuelled hopes the lumbering economy — while not about to break into a sprint — may at least be getting back on its feet.

On Wednesday a closely-watched survey from the Ifo institute showed business sentiment rising for a third consecutive month in April, and more strongly than expected.

A key purchasing managers’ index survey this week showed that business activity in Germany had picked up.

And last week the central bank, the Bundesbank, forecast the economy would expand slightly in the first quarter, dodging a recession, after earlier predicting a contraction.

German Economics Minister Robert Habeck

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) presents the latest economic forecasts at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday, April 24th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler

Despite the economy’s improving prospects, growth of 0.3 percent is still slower than other developed economies and below past rates, and officials fret it is unlikely to pick up fast in the years ahead.

Habeck has repeatedly stressed solutions are needed for deep-rooted problems facing Germany, from an ageing population to labour shortages and a transition towards greener industries that is moving too slowly.

“Germany has fallen behind other countries in terms of competitiveness,” he said. “We still have a lot to do — we have to roll up our sleeves.”

Already facing turbulence from pandemic-related supply chain woes, the German economy’s problems deepened dramatically when Russia invaded Ukraine and slashed supplies of gas, hitting the country’s crucial manufacturers hard.

While the energy shock has faded, continued weakness in trading partners such as China, widespread strikes in recent months and higher eurozone interest rates have all prolonged the pain.

The European Central Bank has signalled it could start cutting borrowing costs in June, which would boost the eurozone.

But Habeck stressed that care was still needed as, despite the expectations of imminent easing, “tight monetary policy has not yet been lifted.”

In addition, disagreements in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party ruling coalition are hindering efforts to reignite growth, critics say.

This week the pro-business FDP party, a coalition partner, faced an angry backlash from Scholz’s SPD when it presented a 12-point plan for an “economic turnaround”, including deep cuts to state benefits.

Christian Lindner, the fiscally hawkish FDP finance minister, welcomed signs of “stabilisation” in the economic forecasts but stressed that projected medium-term growth was “too low to sustainably finance our state”.

“There are no arguments for postponing the economic turnaround,” he added.