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French economy stalls in first quarter, inflation hits new record

Published 04/29/2022, 01:38 AM
Updated 04/29/2022, 03:38 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the Eiffel tower, the Seine River and the Paris skyline, France, July 14, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the Eiffel tower, the Seine River and the Paris skyline, France, July 14, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

By Leigh Thomas

PARIS (Reuters) -France's economic growth unexpectedly flatlined in the first quarter as consumer spending dropped in the face of record high inflation, official data showed on Friday, putting pressure on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of legislative elections.

The INSEE official statistics agency said preliminary data showed no change in gross domestic product for January-March. That signalled a sharp slowdown from the final three months of 2021, when the euro zone's second biggest economy expanded 0.8%, which was revised up from 0.7% previously.

Inflation and first quarter GDP figures for the 19-nation euro single currency zone are due later on Friday.

While a slowdown in France had been expected, the reading was worse than expectations for growth of 0.3% in a Reuters poll of 24 economists, whose forecasts ranged from 0.6% to -0.1%.

Household spending, the traditional driver of French growth, fell 1.3% in the quarter as consumer confidence waned amid concerns over surging energy prices and the war in Ukraine, eclipsing any boost from an easing of COVID restrictions.

Inflation has soared from record to record in recent months, rising unexpectedly in April to touch a new high of 5.4%, INSEE said in a separate report on Friday.

The latest inflationary spike will offer fresh fodder to Macron's opponents who accuse the president of not doing enough to protect consumers' purchasing power heading into legislative elections next month that will determine whether he has a majority to govern for the next five years.

His current government has put together a 25 billion euro ($26.3 billion) package of measures to help protect consumers' dwindling purchasing power and consisting in large part of caps on gas and electricity price increases.

But that did not stop the cost of living from being a major theme in France's presidential election this month, which incumbent Macron won on Sunday by beating far right leader Marine Le Pen.

"Although government measures have shielded households from the worst of the energy price rises, the broader rise in inflation will still take its toll on real incomes and spending," said senior Europe economist Jessica Hinds at consultancy Capital Economics.

"One silver lining, at least, is that the French economy is less exposed to the Ukraine conflict than most in the euro zone, including Germany," she added.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the Eiffel tower, the Seine River and the Paris skyline, France, July 14, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

Macron has indicated that his first steps after the June vote will include further measures to help consumers such as subsidies for people on low incomes who have to use their cars, as well as an increase in pensions.

($1 = 0.9491 euros)

Latest comments

Hurr durr its transitory hurr derr we need to await further data before taking any kind action to rein in inflation
Luckily Meta had good reportings yesterday. Everything will be fine and forgotten!
And, the French reelected the man who facilitated all their troubles?
French elections=™"make your choice comrade"
so you think if LePen was the president there wouldn't be inflation in France now?  yeah OK
there she blows the Euro will suffer against the dollar
wonder how many bogus analysts made bank from intentionally mispredicting the growth in the economy. either that or how much are they making to sit on their cans all day crunching numbers only to be completely wrong??
Most of them! years ago I watched a new piece where they compared the performance of a large number of analyst recommendations to that of tossing darts at a bunch of tickers taped on a wall. The result was the darts outperformed EVERY analyst. Moral of the story, is that's what modern education has produced; arrogant, immoral, liars who think they're better than those who aren't.
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