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French president Macron calls ECB’s measures today ‘insufficient’

French President Macron says coronavirus epidemic is "most serious health crisis that France has known in a century".

Key notes

  • Macron calls ECB’s measures today ‘insufficient’.
  • Macron: to do whatever it costs to protects companies & their employees from virus.
  • French pres. Macron calls ECB’s measures today ‘insufficient’.
  • France's Macron to massively increase hospitals' capacity to deal with coronavirus.
  • Urges elderly people and those with health issues to stay at home for as long as possible.
  • Says municipal elections in France to go ahead.
  • From monday, education establishments to close.
  • Will ask businesses to allow staff to work from home.
  • Public transport to stay open.
  • State will take on salaries of those who have to work from home.
  • Taxes due in march to be postponed.
  • ECB measures today are not sufficient.
  • Will discuss with Trump from tomorrow a G7 initiative on coronavirus.
  • If necessary, we will close frontiers but only in co-ordination with EU.

FX implications

The markets ar risk-off which is a supportive factor to the euro due to the unwind of the carry trade. However, the ECB disappointed which weighed heavily on the euro, which only managed a recovery in New York due to dollar fundamentals. More on that here: EUR/USD collects a strong NY bid from Fed market operations and prospects of Fed QE

Author

Ross J Burland

Ross J Burland, born in England, UK, is a sportsman at heart. He played Rugby and Judo for his county, Kent and the South East of England Rugby team.

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