PARIS -- Mired into a shallow recession, France reported a surprise rise of 0.5 percent growth in its gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter, the strongest performance since two years ago.
The fresh rosy economic figure is likely to mark a turnaround for the ruling Socialists, who have already been under fire over their inability to devote on their promises of higher wealth and more jobs.
To French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, the better-than-expected growth rate, was not "a result of chance" but was due "to the capacity of our economy and the policies that we are pursuing," he said.
Beating grim outlooks, France scored 0.5-percent growth in its wealth which "confirmed the government's strategy," and led the ailing domestic economy back to the recovery path, the minister stressed.
Earlier on Wednesday, the national statistics institute INSEE's report showed a boosted consumer spending and a rise in manufacturing output drove up the economy of the eurozone's second largest economy.
Shortly after the report's release, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici also welcomed the "very sharp rebound in growth," saying it confirmed that the French economy had exited its recession.
"Both an improvement in the European economy and stronger domestic demand" contributed to the French economic recovery, the minister added.
Defying critics, French President Francois Hollande stuck to his pledge, to fix the domestic economic troubles and to reverse the joblessness curve by the end of 2013.
Having "an already insurance that the second quarter will be better than the first," the Socialist head of state ensured that "the economic recovery is here."
Already his back against the wall, Hollande could enjoy a short relief but unlikely to count on the strong second quarter performance to reach a sustainable recovery and to deliver on his economic pledges, analysts said.
"It's a technical recovery after a recession. So, it's too early to speak about a sustainable recovery. It could be possible given the positive climate in the eurozone. But a persistent divergence of recovery pace in the zone could abate the return to growth," Nicolas Bouzou, director of Asteres economic consulting cabinet told Xinhua.
Adding to that, investment contracted for the sixth months as investors still doubt a strong recovery, a sign that mirrored the fragility of the bounce's sustainability, Bouzou added.
On his tweeter, economist Marc Touati expected the government's hard efforts for a "downward correction" as "it's just a transient rebound."
"The government still wants us to believe that the recovery is here. It eventually becomes tedious," he said.
