They're one of many governments who signed up for bad deals because of the lure of easy credit. The banks were making huge fees by getting homeowners, governments and anyone else to take on debt they probably couldn't repay, packaging that debt up as a form of investment, getting it stamped investment grade by bond rating agencies they paid to do so, and selling it to unwitting investors. It involved fraud so widespread the government was afraid to prosecute because people would lose confidence
They're one of many governments who signed up for bad deals because of the lure of easy credit. The banks were making huge fees by getting homeowners, governments and anyone else to take on debt they probably couldn't repay, packaging that debt up as a form of investment, getting it stamped investment grade by bond rating agencies they paid to do so, and selling it to unwitting investors. It involved fraud so widespread the government was afraid to prosecute because people would lose confidence