EU leaders divided on how to protect economies after coronavirus
The worst pandemic in a century requires eurozone governments to pull together but first they have to agree
Europe's economy was meant to have a decent year in 2020. Factory production in the 19-country eurozone rose strongly in January, after a tentative truce in the US-China trade war. Consumer confidence was strong. Housebuilders' order books were full.
The stage was set for a solid, albeit unspectacular year. The European economy would see "steady and moderate growth", predicted the European commission's economic forecast on 13 February. It also warned of clouds on the horizon, including a new virus. Noting mounting concern about coronavirus, as well as "downside" risks, the Brussels forecast concluded the outbreak would peak in the first three months of the year, with "relatively limited global spillovers".
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