Italy 's bond yields have passed the dangerous 7 % threshold . so Italy 's short-term plan will be to get these austerity measures passed , see Berlusconi off , and hold new elections so at least international lenders will know who they 're dealing with . Bond yields represent investor confidence in a country 's ability to repay its debt . The higher the yield, the more investors are willing to take on risk and lend money for longer periods of time ( or at least until they get paid back ). With a debt pile of nearly 2 trillion euros , Italy is seen as too big for Europe to bail out .
Italy 's bond yields have passed the dangerous 7 % threshold . Bond yields represent investor confidence in a country 's ability to repay its debt . The higher the yield, the more investors are willing to take on risk and lend money for longer periods of time ( or at least until they get paid back ). With a debt pile of nearly 2 trillion euros , Italy is seen as too big for Europe to bail out .