The French government will not lower its economic forecast for 2012 despite flagging economic indicators, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said on Wednesday.
"I'm worried about the 2012 growth figures. We have adjusted our forecast for growth this year, 0.3 percent, it is low. This is a wary estimate," the minister told RTL radio.
Asked about any eventual move to revise down the country's growth domestic product, already lowered from a previous estimate of 0.7 percent, Moscovici said, "I don't think so."
"What we want is that growth starts off again and we do not have time to talk about that. From this point of view, what is happening in Europe, the light in the tunnel, the reorientation of European integration, a Europe that is more focused on growth, it is very important," he added.
Last month, French President Francois Hollande reported zero-growth over the first half of the year, adding more pressure on the socialist government to meet its pre-election pledges of boosting the economy and adding more jobs.
According to the national statistics bureau Insee, France's growth would stagnate in the second quarter before rising by 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent in the third and fourth quarters respectively, posting a total growth of 0.4 percent in 2012. Enditem./.