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French finance minister confirms 0.1% growth this year

French finance minister Pierre Moscovici revises downward a previous estimate of 0.8 percent growth in 2013 as economy struggles.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said Sunday that France's economy was expected to grow just 0.1 percent this year, revising downward an official target as the country struggles to get back on its feet, reports GlobalPost.

The French government had initially forecast 0.8 percent growth in 2013 for the eurozone's second largest economy, which continues to battle rising unemployment, stagnant growth and a stubborn budget deficit.

Speaking on Europe 1 radio, Moscovici also predicted growth for 2014 at around 1.2 percent.

For 2015, "I think French growth will get back to a cruising speed that will enable it to create jobs," he said, pointing to an expected growth of 2 percent.

Read more of this report from GlobalPost.