Some good news on the economic front to counter all that bad news on the social one. The French economy grew at an annualised rate of 2.8% in the third quarter of 2005 (or by 0.7% over the prebious quarter). Driving this growth: strong spending by French consumers. At this rate the French economy will be growing at a faster rate than the UK one in 2005.

France’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in more than a year in the third quarter, suggesting European growth is accelerating and providing central bankers leeway to raise interest rates. Gross domestic product increased 0.7 percent from the second quarter, when it rose 0.1 percent, the government said today in Paris.

In the euro region, where France accounts for about one- fifth of the economy, growth probably accelerated to about 0.4 percent in the third quarter from 0.3 percent the previous three months, the European Commission said Oct. 13. This quarter, the economy may expand 0.6 percent, it said. French consumers stepped up spending as oil prices retreated from a record and government-subsidized hiring pushed down unemployment from a 5 1/2 year high.