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France's Hollande Feels Heat as Economy Lacklustre

President Francois Hollande is hoping to be re-elected next year, but the numbers show the economy expanded by just 0.2% in the third quarter.

It is now highly unlikely that the French government will meet its target for growth this year. The terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice have caused a dip in tourism but consumers are also spending less. By contrast the average growth rate across the eurozone for the same period was 1.6%. We talk to French business journalist Anne-Elisabeth Moutet about what this means for the country's future - and President Hollande's hopes for re-election.

By contrast Spain's economy appears to be powering ahead. On Saturday, Mariano Rajoy is expected to win a parliamentary investiture vote, meaning he can form a new government. This follows 10 months of political stalemate during which time the country did not have a government formally in place. The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe reports from Madrid.

(Photo: Paris at night with Eiffel Tower in the background. Credit: Chesnot/Getty Images)

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27 minutes

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Fri 28 Oct 201617:32GMT

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  • Fri 28 Oct 201617:32GMT