Portuguese Bailout Will Make Euro Crisis Worse: Matthew Lynn

New year, new crisis. No sooner had Europe’s bond traders, politicians and central bankers gotten back to their desks than it was time to begin tussling over the fate of a small economy on the periphery of Europe.

This time around, it’s Portugal. And yet the script seems very similar to the one played out already in Greece and Ireland. Bond yields surge. The government denies furiously there is any need for a bailout. French and German leaders rehash some of their lines about the importance of European solidarity. And the guys at the International Monetary Fund and the European Union pack their bags and check flight schedules.