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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The euro zone is likely to decide between March and May when and how governments would start tapering support to their economies as vaccination campaigns allow the lifting of pandemic lockdowns and economic activity picks up, top euro zone officials said on Monday.
FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo/File Photo
Finance ministers of the 19 countries sharing the euro discussed the European Commission’s forecasts showing the euro zone would rebound less than expected this year, and they decided to keep all measures intact for now.
Euro zone finance ministers agreed on Monday that supportive measures for the economy, helping it survive the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, should stay in place as long as needed, the chairman of the ministers Paschal Donohoe said on Monday.
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ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faces two days of parliamentary votes that will decide if his fragile coalition can cling to power or has lost its majority, pushing Italy into deeper political turmoil.
FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wearing a protective face mask gestures as he speaks at a news conference at Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy December 18, 2020. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
Conte will address the lower house on Monday and the upper house, the Senate, on Tuesday about the future of his government after a junior partner quit the cabinet in a row over his handling of the twin coronavirus and economic crises.
Germany's extended shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus will weigh on Europe's largest economy but not choke it off, with economic institute Ifo forecasting quarterly growth of 3% in the second quarter.
Bahrain's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be gradual, with growth projected at 3.3% this year after a 5.4% contraction in 2020, the International Monetary Fund said on Sunday.