Lagarde predicts less gloomy future for French economy
French finance minister Christine Lagarde has signalled that concerns surrounding the French economy could lack foundation, the Salt Lake Herald Tribune reports.
The news will be of interest to French property market investors, who could choose to buy now in the hope that prices will rise when the economy picks up.
Ms Lagarde has suggested that the news on growth will not be as bad as first thought - although she admits to being in the dark as to the exact position the French economy is in.
"On growth, we will probably have some surprises that are less bad than some think," she said in an interview broadcast on France 2 television, according to the newspaper.
"How long will [the crisis] last? We don't know," she added.
Ms Lagarde predicted last week that 2009 GDP growth in France would be between 0.2 and 0.5 per cent, although the International Monetary Fund believes growth next year is likely to be negative.
A former minister of trade, Ms Lagarde was appointed minister of finance in June 2007.
Visit our off-plan property France page
< Back to latest news