Economics

Italy’s New Stimulus May Not Be Enough for Battered Economy

  • Government passes 55 billion-euro package to shore up output
  • Tensions in Premier Conte’s coalition led to weeks of delays

A man pulls a trolley in Venice on May 13. 

Photographer: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images
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Italy is trying to prop up its battered economy with a second stimulus package worth 55 billion euros ($60 billion). It may not be enough.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s government approved the much-delayed measures on Wednesday night in a bid to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The plan focuses on liquidity for businesses and aid to families hurt by over two months of a nationwide lockdown. A 25 billion-euro package was passed in March.