English to Spanish Bus/Financial Linguistics

What would be the meaning of "flirts" in this context?
It´s a newspaper article.

"NO ONE could accuse America's policymakers of standing pat as the economy ***flirts*** with recession. Congress is close to passing a fiscal-stimulus package worth just over 1% of GDP (the House of Representatives passed its version at $146 billion on January 29th). And the Federal Reserve is loosening the monetary reins at the fastest pace in decades."

Does it mean it´s dealing lightly with the recession, not taking it seriously, or simply close to reaching it; it´s coming close to a recession?

Thanks in advance!