Markets around the world have shuddered and calls on politicians to find solutions to the European debt crisis have intensified following the German bond auction on Wednesday, variously described as "botched" and a "wake up call." Just under half of the USD 8 billion in bonds on offer remained unsold, the worst result in a German bond auction since the country joined the euro. The failure of the sale is widely seen as a sign the debt crisis has finally reached Germany. |