The government then often has no option but to step in if it wants to prevent a meltdown of the real economy. But such a rescue rewards excessive risk-taking and can place a huge strain on government finances – which is what happened in Ireland, where the need to support the financial system pushed the deficit above 30 % of GDP in 2010.
Only a handful of the many places of entertainment around Rembrant Square will still remain, but the classical performances at the Concertgebouw and the Muziektheater aan ’t IJ will be sold out every night. Subsidies for museums may even have been scrapped owing to the overwhelming increase in visitor numbers.