Tough talk but soft conditions?

Abstract:
At the European Council on 11 March 2011, EU leaders agreed to the outlines of a new mechanism to deal with eurozone debt problems after the current mechanism expires in 2013. This Commentary argues that this mechanism is a continuation of the leaders’ preference for ‘tough talk and soft conditions’ and warns that the package is merely the next step down the slippery slope of EU taxpayers sharing the burden with Greek taxpayers.