Italy: listless growth
Italian growth was particularly listless in 2019 under the effect of a struggling manufacturing sector. The external context of the trade war and problems in the German car sector, combined with the large size of this sector in Italy , weighed heavily on activity and depressed exports. These headwinds were just about offset by domestic demand, thanks to a resilient labour market. Public finances remain the country’s Achilles heel. Despite the tightening of spreads since mid-2019, public finances continue to be a concern, in particular the credibility of the assumptions underlying the fiscal deficit and public debt projections. The 2020 budget promises to be expansionary, not least thanks because of the removal of the safeguard clauses and measures to lower the tax burden for workers.