France, Europe's second largest economy, did not record any growth over the first quarter this year due to weak foreign trade and tepid household consumption, the national statistics bureau Insee announced Tuesday.
This follows a growth of 0.1 percent in the previous quarter.
Household consumption grew slightly at 0.2 percent, exports rose 0.3 percent while imports increased by 0.7 percent.
The trade imbalance dragged down French GDP by 0.1 point, the statement said.
From January to March "production in manufactured goods stepped back, particularly in coke and refined petroleum due to the shutdown of some refineries."
"It's a false flat economic period. It is a slowdown, Greece is obviously a concern and a presidential election is not conducive to investment," the outgoing Finance Minister Francois Baroin told the local broadcaster Europe1.
French Socialist President Francois Hollande aims to achieve 0.5 percent growth this year and 1.7 percent growth in 2013.