Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday that he would rather defend Italian people than bow to markets if forced to make a choice. The Italian government, targets a fiscal deficit at 2.4 percent of gross domestic product next year, three times the target set by the previous executive and putting the country on a collision course with the European Commission. Source Reuters
China’s oil demand has recovered to more than 90% of the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic struck early this year, a surprisingly robust rebound that could be mirrored elsewhere in the third quarter as more countries emerge from lockdown. Source Reuters
- The European Central Bank increased its Pandemic Emergency Purchase programme by a further €600 billion ($676 billion) on Wednesday.
- Markets were largely expecting a €500 billion ($563 billion) increase.
- The new package takes the ECB’s total announced monetary stimulus to €1.35 trillion ($1.52 trillion).
- ECB also extended its horizon for net purchases until at least June 2021. Source Business Insider
The European Central Bank will buy an extra €600bn of bonds in a bid to revive the eurozone’s pandemic-stricken economy, it announced on Thursday, while slashing its forecasts for growth and inflation.
ECB president Christine Lagarde said the region was “experiencing an unprecedented contraction”, adding that “severe job and income losses and exceptionally elevated uncertainty” had led to a “significant fall” in both consumer spending and investment. Source FT Blog
