Economics

Germany Faces Pressure to Spend as Economic Risks Grow in Europe

French finance minister calls for round of German investment
ECB may need to act to avoid recession, SocGen chairman says

Robotic arms weld parts to be used in an automobile chassis in the Volkswagen AG factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. — Robotic arms weld parts to be used in an automobile chassis in the Volkswagen AG factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Angeline Benoit, Caroline Connan, and Ania Nussbaum

July 6, 2019 at 5:47 PM UTC

Updated on

July 7, 2019 at 9:24 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Trade tensions and uncertainty surrounding Brexit are raising economic risks for the euro area, prompting France to urge Germany to loosen its purse strings to support growth.

"It would be irresponsible not to examine the need for new investments in the euro zone," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Saturday at an annual economic conference in Aix-en-Provence, in southern France.