France ready to spend tens of billions of euros to help firms cope with coronavirus

France is ready to spend tens of billions of euros to help companies get through the coronavirus, its finance minister said on Sunday. "There will be all the money that is necessary. The state will be completely behind them." Bruno Le Maire told France 2 television. "The economic actors are in complete distress."

"The state will help everyone get through these difficult times and it will cost tens of billions of euros." He said the government would do what is necessary to ensure that banks provide loans to companies that needed it and on Monday the government would announce a series of measures to help firms.

Les Echos daily newspaper reported that the government was preparing a plan of 30 billion euros ($33.17 billion) to support firms. ($1 = 0.9044 euros)