Italy, Spain Face Budget Scrutiny as Euro Ministers Meet

Italy and Spain will defend their 2014 spending plans at a meeting of euro-area finance ministers today, risking a clash over economic frailties that could undermine efforts to pull the currency bloc out of a debt crisis now in its fifth year.

Spain, Portugal push for full banking union as Germany finds hurdles

(Reuters) - Spain and Portugal called on Monday for the euro zone to complete a banking union as Germany underscored legal hurdles before a central element of the plan to deal with failing banks can be introduced.

ECB ready for bond purchases if conditions met: Coeure

HONG KONG: The European Central Bank is ready to buy sovereign bonds of euro zone countries that require assistance and agree to fiscal adjustment programmes, European Central Bank Executive Board member Benoit Coeure said on Wednesday.

Eurozone crisis: Spain has no immediate need for help, says ECB's Ewald Nowotny

VIENNA: Spain has no immediate need of help from the European Central Bank's new bond-buying programme and should try to refinance itself before requesting aid, ECB policymaker Ewald Nowotny said.

Spain's bad bank pricing to favour lenders over investors

MADRID: Spain's so-called "bad bank" is planning to take over soured property assets from struggling lenders at a modest additional discount to book value in order to protect struggling banks from further losses, three senior banking sources told a news agency.

Asmussen: ECB Will Only Buy Bonds in Parallel With EFSF, ESM

The European Central Bank will intervene in bond markets on behalf of countries only in conjunction with the euro zone's bailout programs and only if the International Monetary Fund is involved in the reform process, an ECB executive board member said Thursday.

Debt crisis: Murcia could request €700m from Spanish government

Spain’s Murcia region could request up to €700m (£550m) from the central government to keep it afloat, amid growing concern over the state of the regions’ finances.

Is Europe Looking for Backdoor Seniority on Spain?

The world waits to see whether the euro zone will send its bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, into uncharted waters: Buying the government bonds of Spain.

Spanish recession to last until 2014, IMF warns

Spain's unprecedented double-dip recession will last for at least a further 18 months and poses a threat to the rest of Europe, the International Monetary Fund said.

Euro rescue fund boost would calm markets: fund chief

Bolstering the eurozone's bailout fund would reassure the markets as many financial players do not believe the crisis is over, Klaus Regling, the head of the fund has told a German news magazine.

European Financial Crisis Occupies Voters' Thoughts as Spain Prepares to Vote

Spain looks to be on track to get a new prime minister today amid growing concerns the financial crisis in Europe will soon prove overwhelming for that nation as well. The country is currently led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who announced in April he would not seek a third term in office.