Could the next major threat to the euro be the Netherlands?

The case is mounting for the Netherlands to ditch the euro, says Matthew Partridge. But does it make economic sense? And what would be the effect on the rest of the eurozone?

The deadline for private bondholders to agree Greek 'haircuts' passed last night. Although 85% decided to take part, the Greek government will still have to activate the collective action clauses (which force compliance) to get it up to 95%. At the same time, it faces legal action from those who took the bonds out under foreign law.

There is also the question of whether the new bonds will ever pay out. They are trading at a large discount suggesting that the market still thinks that Greece will fully default. Investors also remain concerned over the likes of Spain and Portugal.

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri