Recent polls show pro-default parties growing popular in peripheral euro-area countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain. As Bloomberg Brief's Maxime Sbaihi notes, in a depressed economic environment, their promises to restructure public debt might soon bring them to power and tempt traditional parties to adopt their ideas. This return of political risk in the euro area doesn't appear to be priced in by market participants. As Italy's Beppe Grillo recently exclaimed, “we will leave the Euro and bring down this system of bankers, of scum.”

One of these countries could trigger a new euro-area political crisis and affect the others through contagion. Market participants are focused on the European Central Bank and may be overlooking that prospect.

As Martin Armstrong asks rather pointedly…

Since the introduction of the euro, all economic parameters have deteriorated, the founder of the five-star movement in Italy is absolutely correct. The design or the Euro was a disaster. There is no fixing this any more. We have crossed the line of no return. Beppe is now calling for referendum on leaving euro. Will he be assassinated by Brussels? It is unlikely that the EU Commission will allow such a vote.

Source: Bloomberg Briefs