Best summed up by the words on a British banknote "I promise to pay the bearer...", which is the only thing differentiating it, from a piece of Andrex's finest.


(I assume it still does say that on a banknote ? I've been away awhile).

Yes it does

but there is no promise on Euro notes

I wouldn't panic; headlines such as Mr Warner's sell newspapers.
There was nothing in the Financial Times, or even in El Pais. After all, many economists in such newspapers were predicting the fall of the Euro a year ago.
None of them can predict what's going to happen tomorrow, so all you have to do is use your own common sense & experience.
Relax.

Yeah, just another pissing contest!

I'm guessing it would have appeared in the Finance section of the paper, so you'd have needed to have bought the paper before you even saw the headline. Do you really believe people that don't normally buy the Telegraph would have rushed out and bought the paper even if they had seen the headline? The average man in the street in UK has very little, if any interest in Spain's financial woes, I doubt the headline had the circulation numbers shooting up.

I must admit that after many years in Spain, and after the Cyprus debacle followed by the foreign assets nonsense, I finally took stock and made myself as safe as I could, which basically means that I pay my taxes in the UK and have reverted to tourist status in Spain.

I've got no idea what the future may hold, but I'm strangely content with my new status. If the wheel comes off, the dogs are chipped and have their passports up to date. I might leave my Spanish car behind, I can get the same one in the UK for half the price and with the steering wheel on the right side.

I've had a good run and don't regret a minute of it.

Would you be leaving a property behind?

Yes, a holiday home. I suppose it could happen that I exceed the daft 183 day rule. I wonder what they'll do to me if they find out?

I hope it's not a hanging offence.

Have you still got the pub, Jim?

No - got bored with it. Jubilado!

What would worry me if I had a property (I don't) is that they could impose charges on it (is it called a lien?).

I'm fully legal (as far as I am aware) but some around here are saying that if they get the knock on the door they'll just bugger off back to the UK.

Which sounds like a plan unless you have a property they can do something with...

Seems Spain doesn't go much on the article! A brutal attack!
Cuando las noticias son malas...matar al mensajero
http://www.abc.es/economia/20130511/...305111819.html

Going by the opening statement that a British newspaper is "picking on" Spain does not put forward a position of strength.

Some interesting comments...too many to read all

Seems the Telegraph has form in scare-mongering.
In May last year they told us Hollande in France only had 10 weeks to avert a catastrophe. They've learnt though - this time no deadline...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/c...nd-crisis.html
Still there is no doubt that Spain along with many other countries has debt. But hasn't that been fairly common throughout much of the 20th century?
What's more worrying - banking debt or private company debt?

Informative yet 2 years out of date.