German Economy Barely Expands While France Contracts
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The German economy expanded less than forecast in the first quarter and France slipped into recession, increasing pressure on the European Central Bank to do more to stimulate growth.
German gross domestic product rose 0.1 percent from the fourth quarter, when it fell a downwardly revised 0.7 percent, the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden said today. Economists forecast a 0.3 percent gain, according to the median of 41 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The French economy contracted 0.2 percent in the three months through March after shrinking the same amount in the final quarter of last year.