Long story short, there is some rather dire economic data coming out of France (and wider Europe) that has economists clutching their pearls.
This data shows a large decrease in French service sector confidence, as well as the worsening credit quality of European companies. Last week, the European Central Bank said that risks to the economy in Europe had “moved to the downside” as a result of a reduction in international trade. In other words, Europe is also seeing the effects of Brexit and the US/China trade war (similar to Australia, Europe has very close trade ties with China).
To add salt to the wound, there is an industrial recession in Germany and a recession in debt-riddled Italy. Cue stress eating of Nonna’s carbonara.
Despite all of this, analysts suggest that Europe will avoid a recession in 2019, however, economic growth will be weak as things are more fragile than Nonna’s fine china.
If you are planning a trip to Europe soon, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on the news and educating yourself on what affects the euro