PARIS (AP) — The pace at which countries like Greece and Spain cut their deficits with austerity measures must depend on their economic conditions, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Tuesday.

Lagarde said that while financially weak countries should hike tax hikes and cut spending to heal their public finances, the pace of those measures may have to be reconsidered in some cases because “conditions have changed” — notably the slowing global economy.