European countries still deal with insolvent firms far more harshly than America does, and most such firms end up in liquidation, a recent Economist analysis found. They often treat creditors badly too, meaning that neither side ends up satisfied. Observers worry that Europe will cope with the coming flood of defaults far less effectively than America, meaning a slower recovery. In recent years several European countries have tried to change their systems so that companies have a better chance of survival.

Spanish property group Tremon on Monday said it had filed for administration after failing to meet debt payments, hurting shares in banks which have total exposure of around 1 billion euros ($1.27 billion), Reuters reported. Tremon is the second large Spanish property group to seek administration this year following Martinsa Fadesa. Among its biggest creditors are Banco Popular, with around 200 million euros exposure, unlisted savings bank Bancaja with 100 million followed by Banco Pastor with 95 million.