France is making 45 billion euros (50.2 billion dollars) available in immediate aid for companies and workers impacted by the coronavirus, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has said.
Le Maire said he was adopting a provisional forecast of minus 1 per cent economic growth for 2020 for the purpose of a mini-budget to be proposed to the government later on Tuesday.
“This is a first, immediate economic aid,” Le Maire said.
“But everyone must understand that while there’s a war against the virus, there is also an economic and financial war.”
“There will be a violent shock,” he warned.
“But we have… every ability to bounce back if we take the right decisions now.”