France credit rating could tumble Global Strategic Management reported that an adjustment by Standard & Poor's to worsen

Frances excellent credit rating appears probable. This underlines the fact that the eurozone is on the edge of troubling times and this action would exace rbate the sovereign-debt disaster clouding the eurozone. Global Strategic Management reported that Mark Grant - Managing Director of Sout hwest Securities stated the following: "Everybody's waiting to see what the rati ngs agencies are going to do. I think we'll get something within the next two we eks. The question in everybody's mind is, 'Does Germany get downgraded, and does France lose one or two notches?" This statement was in reaction to the French governments intention to raise funds in the amount of 8 billion euros via a bond auction which clearly fuelled the p ublics unease regarding the possible credit rating downgrade and also seemed to c ontribute to the interest rate increase on Frances debt. The announcement by S&P in December of the looming review of the credit ratings of a number of the eurozones 17 member countries was not good news for France. A downgrade would spell more expensive borrowing for the country at the most inopp ortune time. Global Strategic Management reported that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was feeling the heat with his country having to endure sluggish growth, growing unemployment and plenty of economic unease. President Sarkozy has more h eat to deal with in the form of a difficult reelection contest in April. Global Strategic Management said that President Sarkozy had a tough task ahead to assis t the eurozone with Frances economy under pressure. S&Ps negative review of Frances credit rating would not bode well for Europe and i t could spark doubt and uncertainties that there was a regional economic illness b efalling them. It could also possibly increase the funding costs of the European Financial Stability Fund, the salvage facility being relied on to rescue some o f the eurozone's most distressed economies. This fund is already feeling the pre ssure and appears incapable of the daunting possible task of propping up Italy, Spain or other pressurized European countries. Global Strategic Management state d that France would be put under enormous pressure with expectations that it sus tain the fund which if in doubt, would further fuel investor fear and then incre ase borrowing costs. France and the rest of the Eurozone face a difficult challenge to satisfy the de mands of credit rating agencies, and nurse Europes economic wounds back to health .