It is important to note that what we are seeing in the global economy is not a private-sector lead bounce back, but a modest uplift in output courtesy of unprecedented fiscal and monetary measures by central banks and governments. While demand remains so weak, such support will continue to be necessary.
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Moreover, France and Germany are right that there needs to be a elementary shift away from the reckless model of lightly-regulated high finance, which did so much to generate the crisis. And, since flows of capital and bank employees are global, there needs to be global co-ordination to deliver this.
But the most critical message finance ministers need to heed today – and world leaders later this month – is of the dangers of complacency. There are some welcome signs that the pace of economic decline is slowing, even of a bottoming out to the global downturn. But this recovery, such as it is, is fragile. We are by no means out of the woods yet. The policy response of all G20 nations needs to reflect that sobering reality.