Why do France and Belgium risk credit rating downgrades in 2024?
France and Belgium are under the close watch of major rating agencies, with recent fiscal developments signaling mounting risks for a potential sovereign credit rating downgrade later this year if important reforms are not adopted. Following the International Monetary Fund's latest forecasts, which indicate a progressive deterioration in France's debt in the coming years – as Euronews highlighted here – a further cautionary note was raised this week by Scope Ratings. Analyst Alvise Lennkh-Yunus remarked that "weak governments struggling to implement consistent medium-term fiscal plans are putt...