French Budget Minister Upbeat after S&P Downgrade
France's budget minister is optimistic that a downgrade of her country's credit rating won't lead to a rise in the country's borrowing costs.
Valerie Pecresse spoke before the French Treasury is set to sell off short-term bills in an auction Monday, which is seen as a test of the impact of the downgrade.
Pecresse said on Europe-1 radio that she doesn't expect "mechanical consequences" of the downgrade because France has "credibility" and is a "sure value."
She noted that the United States didn't see its borrowing costs spike after last August's decision by Standard & Poor's to strip it of its AAA rating. Like France, the U.S. is rated AA+.
S&P downgraded France and eight other European countries Friday, saying they're not doing enough to solve Europe's debt crisis.
Source: Associated Press
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