The Hungarian economy was hit particularly hard by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in the 2nd quarter of 2020, due to the weight of exports in its GDP. The shock seems to have been absorbed relatively well, with the government and central bank focusing on supporting the labour market and introducing the necessary moratoriums on interest payments and loan repayments. The stimulus measures introduced have been constrained in particular by the need to avoid an excessive depreciation of the forint. The reduction in government debt, interrupted this year, is likely to get back on track quickly, within the framework of an unchanged strategy: maintaining a moderate corporate tax in order to continue to attract foreign investment in the manufacturing 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...
Even 30 years after reunification, income differences persist due to a productivity gap in the new Länder. Productivity is about 20% lower than in the rest of the country. The largest income differences are in the manufacturing sector, as headquarters and research centres remain concentrated in the West. Many young people have moved from East to West attracted by higher wages and better living standards. Between 1991 and 2016, the new Länder lost about one quarter of their working-age population. East and West have become closer demographically. Net migration is actually around zero, as income prospects in the East have improved. In addition, some regions in the West are now also experiencing a rapid ageing of their population, as has been the case in the East.
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.
A strong rebound is expected in Q3 (7.2%) following the progressive lifting of restrictions. Nevertheless, the recovery is likely to remain slow and bumpy at times, at least until there is a Covid-19 vaccine or a better treatment. Thanks to the widespread use of furlough, the labour market has held up reasonably well. However, the scheme may also have been delaying a necessary restructuring, which could weigh on the long-term performance of the economy. The huge increase in public spending to ease the economic consequences of the virus have forced the authorities to activate the debt brake exemption clause. The excess debt will be repaid over 20 years starting in 2023.
After a rapid restart in May and June, the economy was back to 95% of its normal level in August. However, the improvement is now slowing as the automatic catch-up effects fall away and as substantial disparities between sectors and persistent public health constraints and uncertainties remain in play. Even so, Q3 is expected to see a substantial rebound (of around 15% q/q). It will be in Q4 that growth is likely to fall back like a soufflé. This period will determine the next chapter in the recovery. Hence the significance of the stimulus package in its double role of softening the blow from the crisis and boosting the recovery now under way. We estimate that this package will add 0.6 of a point to growth in 2021, taking it to 6.9%, after a contraction of 9.8% in 2020.
In Q2 2020, real GDP fell by 12.8%, dropping down to values recorded in the 1990s. A weakened domestic demand was the main driver of the recession, with households reducing their expenditure and investment falling by 15%. The contraction became widespread. The real estate sector sent mixed messages: in Q1 2020 prices went up while transactions experienced a sharp decline. Latest data have signaled a rebound of the economy, even if the scenario remains uncertain. The strength of the recovery will depend on the behaviour of businesses and households, which will in turn be affected by the evolution of the pandemic. In the real estate sector, both prices and transactions should experience a sharp decline by the end of the year. Transactions should only partially recover in 2022.
The Spanish economy registered a record contraction of 22.7% in the first half of 2020. With the public deficit likely to rise above 10% of GDP this year, the government faces some difficult decisions, notably on the terms and conditions of its temporary layoff scheme (ERTE). The recovery in industrial production since the easing in lockdown restrictions in May is encouraging. However, this only partially compensate for the slow pick-up in activity in other sectors. The final quarter of 2020 will be a pivotal moment. A substantial programme of support for employment and investment (under the recovery package announced this autumn) is needed, while narrowing down support more specifically towards the sectors lastingly affected by the crisis.
Economic activity contracted less than in the neighbouring countries (-8.5%). Hard data confirm a rebound in Q3, although social distancing rules are weighing on activity, in particular in services. Thanks to the substantial financial buffers, the government can cope with the considerable costs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the deficit is projected at around 5% of GDP and the debt ratio may end up just above 60%. The centre-right coalition is likely to lose the majority at the next general election in March 2021. If the social democrats and greens do well, a purple coalition would be possible.
We expect the Belgian economy to lose 7.5% of its size this year and grow by 4.6% next year. Consumption is on course for a strong recovery but corporates remain hesitant to invest, with government interventions expected to pick up some of the slack. Government formation talks are likely to have entered a final phase. The new coalition will have its work cut out for it, as both supportive measures in the short term and a deficit-reduction program in the medium term are needed.
Finland’s economy was showing signs of weakness even before the Covid-19 pandemic started – indeed, GDP contracted a bit in the fourth quarter of 2019. In spite of that, the economy has been one of the most resilient in Europe. That is notably because the pandemic has been relatively contained, allowing the authorities to impose softer restriction measures. Another reason is the substantial support provided by the government.
Despite managing well the epidemic, Portugal has experienced a severe economic shock in Q2. Real GDP plunged by 13.9%, pulled down by sharp falls in goods and services exports (-36.1% q/q) and private sector consumption (-14.0% q/q). Investment dropped (8.9% q/q). The country has been heavily impacted by the collapse in tourism inflows and foreign activity, particularly in Spain. External factors could also hamper the recovery, particularly given the surge in new Covid-19 cases in Spain. Nevertheless, the improvement in public finances operated in recent years should translate into a government deficit for 2020 smaller than in other European countries – around 7.0% of GDP according to government estimates. This provides relatively more leeway to support the recovery.
While UK GDP has bounced back since May and has made up half of lost ground caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic crisis is still far from being over. In particular, concerns are mounting over the labour market, as the government’s furlough scheme will be terminated in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the end of the transition period that maintains the UK in the EU single market and customs union is coming up fast. Disagreements during the negotiations raise fears about the UK leaving without a trade agreement, which could have an even bigger impact on the economy in the long term than the current crisis.
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the most severe recession in Germany’s post-war history. The sudden drop in revenues in combination with only partly adjustable costs has led to a fast depletion of firms’ cash buffers. Business felt compelled to reduce inventories, cancel orders and defer investment projects. This had the effect of deepening the recession. It might be tempting to think that investment could quickly regain traction again, as it did following the Great Recession in 2008-09. This sounds too optimistic. European Investment Bank (EIB) researchers estimate that the European corporate sector could have lost revenue between 13% and 24% of GDP because of the Covid-19 pandemic[1]
Compared with three months earlier, the blue area of the chart – representing data for the last three months – is spreading out like an oil stain. Nevertheless, most indicators remain well below their long-term average, i.e. the inner grey circle in the chart. In particular, indicators for households and services improved substantially, due to the lifting of the lockdown restrictions. Retail sales boomed in the period May-July following the reopening of shops and the temporary reduction of the VAT rate in July [...]
CaixaBank and Bankia, respectively the third and fourth largest Spanish banking groups in terms of CET1, formalized on September 3, 2020, the opening of negotiations for a potential merger. If it materialized, this operation would consolidate the Spanish banking system. The level of concentration of the latter is comparable to that observed on average in the euro area, following two successive waves of consolidation between 2008-2009 and 2012-2013 from which CaixaBank and Bankia themselves emerged. The question is whether or not this could be the prelude to a broader movement of concentration that the ECB has been in favour of since several years. Indeed, the banking supervisor sees consolidation as a way to improve the financial profitability and resilience of banks1
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.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), GDP in the United Kingdom dropped by more than 20% in the second quarter, which was the worst performance in Europe...
The economic recovery has been stronger in the industrial sector than in services, the former benefitting from a sharp rebound in consumer goods spending, particularly durables. Moreover, the impact of health measures on industrial activity is lower than for services...
This week’s Eurostat report confirmed that Spain has been Eurozone’s worst impacted country by the coronavirus. The resurgence of the epidemic and the implementation of new restrictions will hold back the economic recovery this semester, at least...
While Europe has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, Nordic countries have been relatively less affected – with the exception of Sweden, where restriction measures have been particularly soft. As a result, Nordic economies have been among the most resilient in Europe. In the second quarter, GDP fell by “only” 8.3% in Sweden, 6.9% in Denmark, 5.1% in Norway, and 4.5% in Finland. That compares with drops of 9.8% in Germany, 13.8% in France, and nearly 12% in the euro area as a whole. That said, businesses and consumers in Nordic countries are not especially optimistic about the economic outlook, which certainly reflects the region’s reliance on global trade
Signs of the French economic recovery since the lockdown was lifted on 11 May are starting to show in our Pulse barometer...
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).
To cope with the collapse in their revenues during lockdown, French non-financial corporations (NFCs) raised record funding flows. These totalled close to EUR 208 billion year-on-year net of repayments at end-June 2020, or 2.5 times the annual average recorded between 2017 and 2019 (EUR 83 billion). The growth in funding flows stemmed chiefly from bank loans (EUR 118.5 billion at 30 June, including some EUR 106 billion in PGE state-guaranteed loans since 25 March 2020) and also from net issues of debt securities (EUR 89 billion). NFCs’ deposits posted a matching increase (EUR 173.4 billion), and so the annual increase in debt net of deposits remained within the range seen since 2012
In Germany, business conditions during the past three months were in general worse than in the preceding three-month period (area within the dashed line). That is most obvious in the production-related hard data, which cover the lockdown period March-May...
