Eurozone

We look back at Christine Lagarde's career trajectory from French Minister to IMF chief and the issues that follow her heading into her next role.

According to the preliminary Eurostat data Eurozone GDP grew 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in the April-June period, down from 0.4% in the previous three months.

The European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged at the meeting in Frankfurt with the main refinancing rate remaining at zero and the deposit rate at minus 0.4%.

"As Commissioner Muscovi said the door is open for further evidence, for further information, potentially further measures, the ball is now in the Italian camp.”

Progress, but not big breakthrough. Trying to create a budget across the 19 economies of the eurozone is always a challenge.

In the proposed State Budget for 2019, the Portuguese Government estimates a deficit of 0.2% of GDP, with the ambition of setting it at 0 % of GDP by 2020. Portugal is often praised as the good pupil of the eurozone in contrast to Italy, which plans to up spending, going against eurozone rules.

The EU Commissioner for the euro, Valdis Dombrovskis, met with the Croatian government in Zagreb today to discuss the country's prospects to join the euro.