Chapter 993： Leopold II (2/2)

In the end, it is the Vienna government that can make the decision. You had better not have too much hope. This kind of thing, my brother rarely mixes. ”

Politics is such a reality, but all things that offend people have always been the secret of the cabinet, and the real decision-making Franz the Great usually only appears when everyone is happy.

According to Massimiliano's understanding of his brother, unless the Belgian government can come up with enough benefits in exchange, this kind of effortless work will probably not be passed.

”Thank you!”

”If the Vienna government can provide us with the assistance we need, all future international trade settlements in Belgium will be conducted with Aegis.”

Leopold II gritted his teeth and said.

In a sense, this is a betrayal of national sovereignty, but Belgium has no better choice.

After the war there were insufficient funds for reconstruction, and the French could not get the compensation. In order to raise funds, Belgium had already mortgaged everything that could be mortgaged, and now there are only a few chips left in hand.

Had it not been for the discovery that the Vienna government was preparing to use the Aegis as an international settlement currency, Leopold II would not have known that the settlement currency could also be traded.

After all, the settlement of international trade before this was mostly done with gold, and sometimes with silver. The use of Aegis to settle settlements is when countries start trading with the Holy Roman Empire.

The full use of Aegis for trade settlement not only means that Belgium has given up on gold and silver settlements, but also means that Belgium will link its currency to Aegis, from a pure gold standard country to a mixed standard of Aegis and gold.

Only because Aegis and gold are freely convertible, and the currency value is relatively stable, there is not much difference between this mixed standard and the pure gold standard.

The small gap now does not mean that the gap will not be large in the future. Once Aegis and gold were decoupled, the situation changed completely.

There is no doubt that no one is aware of these problems yet. Normal people don't dare to imagine the decoupling of Aegis and gold. No one knows that the future economic development will be so fast that it cannot meet the actual demand as gold production.

If he knew this, Leopold II would never offer it so carelessly as a condition. After all, the negotiations have not officially started, and the current conditions can only be regarded as sincerity, and the final price to be paid will definitely be greater.

Massimiliano nodded, and he was relieved. The battle for currency hegemony between the Aegis and the British pound has not been a day or two. Even he, the emperor in exile who is far from politics, has heard of it.

Belgium's current position is not only about economic interests, but more importantly, the political team.

As early as a few years ago, Britain and Austria had their own settlement systems, and they had won over European countries. It's just that the conditions at the time were not mature enough, even if they were inclined, no country would dare to declare that all the currency of a certain country was used for settlement.

If Belgium stands up now, it will be the first country in the world to publicly announce the use of Aegis settlements. This alone can reap a lot of goodwill from the Vienna government.

Such a thing, Belgium, who is still impoverished, dares to do it. The full use of Aegis for settlement is not only politically evil to the British government, it also excludes its own products from the British market.

Whether it is for the sake of face or profit, the London government cannot accept Aegis as the settlement currency of British-Belgian trade. You should know that the Anglo-Austrian trade is now mainly based on gold settlement.

Even if the Vienna government wants to make Aegis as an international settlement currency, it is not so radical. At the moment it is only planning to make Aegis the internal settlement currency of the European Union.

Knowing the serious consequences, Leopold II did it anyway. The reason is very cruel. Only Britain and Austria have the ability to provide funds to Belgium.

Regardless of the fact that the Vienna government seems to be financially tight, it is also relatively speaking, and the money will come out after a squeeze.

Moreover, the fact that the government has no money does not mean that it cannot afford to pay. After more than a year of buffering, no matter how tight the financial market of the Holy Roman Empire is, it will not be impossible to get tens of millions of funds.

The funds for post-war reconstruction were not spent in one day. As long as there is a tens of millions of dollars for emergency relief, the remaining funds can be disbursed in the next month.

The situation in Europe is already clear, and Belgium can't help but keep half-hearted. If you go to hook up with the British for a loan right now, it is definitely a performance that you are tired of living.

Leopold II decided to take a gamble and grab the position of the number one horse. Although the top horse needs to charge and fight, it is a bit dangerous, but the benefits are very rich!

Prior to this, the top Belgian government had also carefully studied it.

With the current gathering momentum of the Holy Roman Empire, as long as the Vienna government does not die, the status of the European hegemon has been stabilized, and the probability of replacing the British as the maritime hegemon is very high.

Belgium's size is limited. If you don't lean on it immediately, once they are preempted by other countries, their value will be lost.