Government borrowing costs are rising sharply across major economies — from the United States and United Kingdom to France, Germany, and the Netherlands — as financial markets grow increasingly anxious about ballooning public debt and unresolved budget deficits. France is considered the most acute concern in Europe, with economists at ABN Amro warning that the country has been unable to reduce its debt burden because rising interest costs offset any fiscal progress, compounded by political uncertainty ahead of next year's elections. While analysts stop short of predicting an imminent crisis, they note that sustained pressure from capital markets may ultimately force reluctant governments to make difficult and unpopular budgetary decisions.