Hungary Averts a Recession as Weak Economy Weighs on Outlook

Hungary’s economy eked out economic growth in the second quarter, averting a recession but underscoring Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s challenge before next year’s elections.

Gross domestic product increased 0.4% in the second quarter from the previous three months after a revised 0.1% contraction in the January-March period, the Budapest-based statistics office said in a statement on Wednesday. GDP growth meanwhile slowed to a quarterly 0.2% in the Czech Republic from 0.7%, according to a separate release.