The resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic halted the Eurozone’s economic recovery. It looks like year-end 2020 will be harder than expected due to new social distancing measures and lockdown restrictions set up in most of the member states. Industrial output remains low compared to pre-crisis levels and companies in the tradeable services sector continue to be at the forefront of restrictions. As to the first half of 2021, uncertainty is still high. Faced with this environment, the European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to announce new monetary stimulus measures following its 10 December meeting as fiscal support measures are gradually reduced.
The resurging pandemic and tighter sanitary restrictions in many Eurozone countries pose a new threat to the economic recovery after the first wave of virus was generally brought under control. The latest economic indicators for the Eurozone suggest that economic momentum is slowing. However, there has not been a collapse like the one observed in late March and April...
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a decline in inflation and, in most euro area countries, an increase in the inflation dispersion between sectors. It will take considerable time until activity has been restored sufficiently to generate labour market bottlenecks, which –in the absence of exogenous shocks- are a necessary condition to see a broad-based and lasting increase in inflation. This suggests that for the coming years, we should expect inflation to fluctuate around a slowly rising trend. In the course of 2021, the unleashing of pent-up demand –under the assumption that a vaccine is sufficiently widely deployed- could cause a temporary pick-up in inflation. In this respect, a decline in the price elasticity of demand will play a key role.
The Eurozone’s macroeconomic environment remains highly uncertain in the midst of a resurgence of the pandemic in most of the member states. New health restrictions, though generally less severe than in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, constitute another drag on the region’s economic recovery and catching-up dynamics...
The Q3 2020 rebound in the Eurozone GDP growth was stronger than expected: 12.7% q/q, compared to expectations of 10.5%. Of the region’s four biggest economies, France reported the strongest rebound followed by Spain, Italy and Germany. This rebound only partially erased the massive negative shock earlier this year. In Germany, France and Italy, GDP was still about 4% below the Q4 2019 level, while Spanish was still down by 9%. All components of demand contributed to French GDP growth. Sector differences reveal the heterogeneous impact of the shock. In all four countries, the rebound was largely mechanical, but other factors also came into play. Emergency measures to offset the impact of the lockdown last spring constituted a strong support
Despite a significant and higher than expected rebound in the third quarter (+12.7% q/q according to Eurostat, from -11.8% in Q2), the y/y contraction in GDP remains significant albeit lower (-4.3%, from -14.8% in Q2). In contrast to prevailing macroeconomic trends, credit impulse (defined as the annual change of the annual growth rate of bank loans) to the private sector increased very slightly in September 2020, following a decline from 1.9% in May 2020 to 0.8% in August 2020...
The Covid-19 health crisis is an historic shock for the eurozone economy. The economic policy response has been substantial and rapid, and this is particularly true for the monetary policy adopted by the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB has notably introduced an emergency asset purchasing programme, the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme, or PEPP. In June, its envelope has been increased to the current level of EUR 1,350 billion. Thus, since March 2020, monetary policy has had a significant effect on long-term interest rates, improving financing conditions for eurozone member states and also for the private sector
The economic position improved significantly over the last three months compared to the three months prior. The recovery in the euro zone seems to have stalled...
After a more vigorous than expected recovery following the end of lockdown, the trend now seems less energetic. There is still lost ground to make up and the end of the year, beset by uncertainty on the health and economic fronts, is likely to see a marked decline of growth. In our central scenario, there is no return to pre-crisis GDP level before the forecast horizon at the end of 2021. Coupled with this, deflationary pressures are building, and the strengthening of the euro intensifies this dynamic. So far the European Central Bank has been patient, but has indicated its willingness to take new measures. If the current situation persists, an extension of emergency monetary measures, in terms of both size and duration, looks likely.
The outcome of the ECB meeting was eagerly awaited considering the latest inflation data, the strengthening of the euro and the Federal Reserve’s new strategy of targeting average inflation. The implicit message from the ECB President’s press conference was “be patient” on the three areas of concern. Inflation is projected to pick up whilst staying well below the target, the euro exchange rate is being closely monitored and the sheer number of strategy review workstreams implies it will take quite some time before we learn about the outcome in terms of the inflation objective.
The latest flash PMIs had raised some concern given the weakening of the composite index for the eurozone (from 54.9 to 51.6) and Germany (from 55.3 to 53.7) and an even bigger decline in France (from 57.3 to 51.7).
The Eurozone Purchasing Managers’ indices (PMI) for July were better than expected. This is visible at country level, as the PMIs for France and Germany rose strongly. This improvement is noticeable in the eurozone services sector, which rose to a two-year high (55.1). The manufacturing PMI climbs above the expansionary line for the first time since January 2019. These positive numbers have to be taken with caution. Difficulties on the supply side appear to recede, but problems on the demand side are likely to persist. Consumer behaviour will be a key element for a stronger economic recovery
The bank lending pulse picked up slightly in the Eurozone in May 2020 (+1.9%, after +1.5% in April and +1.7% in March) even as Eurozone GDP is expected to have entered a record-breaking decline in Q2 (-13.5% q/q vs. -3.6% q/q in Q1 2020), as national lockdown measures have a lasting impact on economic activity. Bank lending to the private sector has accelerated rapidly since March (+5.3% in May, after +4.9% in April and +5% in March) after holding at a dynamic but relatively stable annual pace since summer 2018 (+3.5% on average). Lending to non-financial companies continued to grow at a rapid pace in May (+7.4% after +5.5% in March), offsetting the slowdown in household lending (+3%, after +3.4%)
Although the Eurozone member countries seem to have the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic well under control, they are now facing major economic hardships. The most recent leading economic indicators are showing signs of a turnaround but the road ahead will still be long. It will be hard to fully absorb the loss of activity reported at the height of the crisis. Public policies will play a crucial role. In the months ahead, the probability is very high that there will be a sharp increase in the jobless rate, especially for long-term unemployment, and a series of corporate bankruptcies. The European Central Bank (ECB) is providing member states with very favourable financing conditions. A response at the European level must come through, and the Recovery Fund needs to be set up rapidly.
The recession of 2020 is unique in nature and, in recent history, in depth. It should be followed by an equally unique recovery. The first phase should be particularly strong and driven by the easing of lockdown measures. Thereafter, growth should be essentially demand-driven. The lockdown-induced drop in demand led to forced savings. Tapping into these excess savings should provide a considerable boost to consumption. However, a significant deterioration in the employment outlook would mean that the forced savings during the lockdown would morph into precautionary savings, implying growth disappointments and a negative feedback loop.
Are we over the worst? In the short term, that would seem to be the message from the latest economic data for May and June at our disposal. Having hit record lows in April, activity indicators posted a rally in May, and an even steeper recovery in June. This recovery was expected, despite the public health measures still in force, given the ending of the lockdown in the eurozone member states. However, the economic activity is still weaker than in normal periods (pandemic free) [...]
M3 monetary aggregate growth continued to accelerate in the Eurozone in April, to 8.4% year-on-year from 7.5% in March, the strongest annual growth rate since early 2009. Yet the monthly growth rate of the money supply aggregate eased in April to a seasonally-adjusted 1.2% m/m, well below March’s peak of 2.5% m/m, but still three times higher than the long-term trend of 0.4% m/m. Although credit to the private sector remains by far the largest counterpart of M3 money supply, credit to general government made the biggest contribution to the acceleration of money supply growth since early 2020, bolstered by the intensification of the Eurosystem’s government securities purchasing programme (a cumulative total of EUR 67 billion in March and April 2020)
Without a doubt, the eurozone GDP will contract much more sharply in Q2 than in Q1 (-3.8% on a quarterly basis, q/q). Yet this deterioration generally seems to have been halted. After a timid upturn in the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) in May, the eurozone Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) also seems to have bottomed out. After dropping to an all-time low of 64.9 in April 2020, the ESI picked up slightly to 67.5 in May [...]
Households’ confidence will be a key determinant in the current recovery. The deterioration – felt or anticipated – in the labour market has weighed on consumers’ optimism: the European Commission (EC) unemployment expectations index dropped to a 11-year low in April (63.0). However, the Purchasing Managers indices (PMI) indicate that the economic downturn has started to ease in May. This could filter through into a pick-up of households’ confidence. Indeed, the chart below shows that the EC unemployment expectations index follows closely the employment PMI indicator. The latter improved in May, although staying at a very low level. The gradual reopening of shops, restaurants, and some cultural sites could also support consumers’ confidence in the coming weeks.
The shape of the post-crisis recovery will depend on the characteristics of each economy, the fiscal response and the level of integration in global value chains. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, some eurozone economies were more vulnerable than others. High levels of debt or unemployment could limit the strength of the recovery. At a domestic level, the sectoral structure, the pattern of private consumption and the labour market situation will be crucial. A high dependency on tourism, a sector durably impacted by the crisis, could hold back the recovery. At the external level, a slow recovery in global trade would hit the most open economies. Moreover, the distortions in global value chains during this crisis could weaken the most highly-integrated economies over a longer period.
Following the judgment of the German Constitutional Court on 5 May, the ECB Governing Council needs to demonstrate that the monetary policy objectives of its PSPP are not disproportionate to the economic and fiscal policy effects resulting from the programme. In most cases, monetary, economic and fiscal policies are mutually reinforcing. When assessing whether monetary policy is appropriate, one should take into account the stance of economic and fiscal policy. The necessity to have adequate transmission to all jurisdictions as well as the likelihood and extent of tail risks due to insufficient policy action also play a role in the assessment.
Lending momentum in the euro zone recovered strongly in March 2020, with an increase of 1.6% from a 0.4% fall in February. Against a background of negative GDP growth in the first quarter (-3.3% Q/Q-4 from +1.0% Q/Q-4 the fourth quarter of 2019), conditions in March were severely affected by the lockdown measures introduced by national governments over the month [...]
The Covid-19 crisis will result in a sharp contraction of eurozone GDP. However, its effect on inflation is still unclear. The impact could be disinflationary over the short term, although no consensus has emerged as to the likely medium term trend. In March, total inflation in the eurozone fell significantly, also reflecting the effect of lower energy prices. The destruction of a portion of the productive capacity could constrain supply in the medium term, whilst public policies will support demand, thus encouraging an acceleration in prices. Conversely, a lack of demand relative to potential supply could maintain a disinflationary bias in the eurozone.
The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a recession in the Eurozone that looks likely to be deep but short-lived. After a difficult year and a half on the economic front, the Eurozone was showing some resilience and was even beginning to show signs of stabilisation. The current shock – in demand, supply and uncertainty simultaneously – has completely changed the outlook. The health measures taken- which have been necessary to protect the population from the virus- have created the conditions for a recession. Monetary and fiscal policymakers have reacted swiftly and, so far, proportionately. However, the profile of the economic recovery remains unclear and will be crucial in assessing the damage ultimately caused by the pandemic.
Looking at the economic data for the euro area that has emerged recently, the conclusion is clear: we are seeing an unprecedented economic contraction in the service sector. The average eurozone service sector PMI plummeted in Q1 2020, well below its long-term average...
