French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told LCI television on Thursday that he hoped the country's automobile industry, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, would report stronger figures over the months of June and July.

Earlier this month, Renault finalised a 5 billion euro (4.4 billion pounds) loan with the French government, strengthening the carmaker's finances in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Edmund Blair)