On November 29, rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the Netherlands' credit rating from AAA to AA+.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, described the agency's decision "disappointing," said Het Financieele Dagblad, while stressing that the current interest rate on 10-year government bonds - around 2 per cent - is at an "historic and extreme low", reflecting the financial markets' confidence in the country.

The only Eurozone countries to now still have a AAA rating from the three major agencies (S&P, Moody's and Fitch) are Finland, Germany and Luxembourg.

Meanwhile, S&P raised the long-term credit rating of Cyprus up a notch to "B-", while Spain's "negative" BBB- outlook has been revised upwards and is now classed as "stable".

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