Central Banks

ECB’s Guindos Warns of Dangers Posed by High Government Debt

  • He says fiscal slippage risks higher sovereign borrowing costs
  • Vice president speaks at Euro Finance Week in Frankfurt

Luis de Guindos

Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg
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European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos warned that high levels of sovereign debt could prevent governments from addressing long-term economic challenges and consign them to low growth.

Speaking at Euro Finance Week in Frankfurt, Guindos said swelling primary budget deficits that push debt loads higher could result in a lack of spending room to tackle climate change, defense spending, digitalization and sub-par productivity.