Wolfgang Schaeuble sees no deflation risk, says German pickup broad-based

BERLIN: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Thursday he saw no risk of deflation at a time when euro zone inflation has been in what the European Central Bank calls "the danger zone".

Speaking after data showed Germany's economy doubled its growth to the highest level in three years in the first quarter, Schaeuble added that everything pointed to a broad-based pickup.

International Monetary Fund chief economist Olivier Blanchard said on Wednesday the Fund saw a 25 per cent chance of the euro zone slipping into deflation by the end of 2015.