英伦广角 2011-04-04 葡萄牙寻求欧元救市（在线收听）

The Eruozone’s debt crisis had gone quiet, but not any longer. This is the heart of European Union and workers are fighting with police. They’re angry about looming cuts and redundancies. But Belgium’s problems are a sideshow for leaders arriving for the EU summit. Top of the agenda is Portugal. Prime Minister Jose Socrates resigned when he failed to get through another round of austerity measures. The country would almost certainly now have to reach for the bailout panic button.

"Portugal’s finances are in a very tricky position. They will now have to refinance an amount, which is equivalent to about 25% of its national wealth. Its borrowing costs are unsustainably high. It’s just can’t go like this."

The European Union has pledged its supports, but pressure was building on the Portuguese to take a bailout, like Ireland and Greece.

The problems in Portugal are now reverberating around the rest of the European Union. Most countries are having to force through austerity measures. And here in Belgium, workers have taken to the streets once again. Now the problem for Europe’s leaders who are meeting down the road is how can they stop this crisis spreading to other countries.

The unwanted attention is already on Spain, the Eurozone’s fourth largest economy. With unemployment at 20%, it may also have to join the queue of Europe’s sick economies, who are seeking financial help.

"The thing that’s noteworthy here is the way the Portugal ended up getting to the point where it needs a bailout. Inside Portugal, there was a popular revolt against the austerity measures that the EU said were needed. And that is fairly unpredictable and if that sort of thing happens in Spain or indeed even in the countries that have already been bailed out in Greece or Ireland. The EU could find itself having to write more checks to repair countries."

At this summit, the European Union is hoping to approve a permanent bailout mechanism, worth 700 billion Euros. But many here are asking the question: how long will people be prepared to keep paying for the Euro.