ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

European Stability Mechanism

Hey kiddo, do you know about a piggy bank? It's something where we put money to save it for the future. Similarly, European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is a piggy bank for countries in Europe. It's a big money box where countries keep their money so that it's safe and can be used when they really need it.

But why do they need this big piggy bank? Well, sometimes countries go through a tough time, like they spend too much money or they have a natural disaster, and they need help to come out of it. Just like how you may sometimes need help if you lose your toy or fall down and hurt yourself.

So, the European Union countries agreed to create the ESM to help out member countries when they are facing difficult situations. The ESM is like a fire brigade that arrives when there is an emergency and helps put out the fire. But instead of fires, the ESM helps put out problems involving money and finances.

The ESM is funded by the member countries. Each country puts in money, just like how we put coins in a piggy bank, and that money is used to help other countries facing financial difficulties. The ESM also offers loans to countries at lower interest rates, which means they don't have to pay as much back.

The ESM helps to keep the countries in the European Union stable and moving forward. It's like all the countries working together to save their money so they can help each other out when they need it most.