France cut its official 2026 GDP growth forecast to 0.5% from 0.7%, Economy Minister Roland Lescure said at a Friday Bercy press conference, citing Middle East-driven energy prices, weaker investment, and summer heatwaves. Reuters reported the revision and said Bercy still projects 1.0% growth in 2027 absent new shocks.
BFMTV and Euronews covering the same presser put government inflation at 2.1% for 2026 after 0.9% in 2025, with 2027 inflation seen at 1.8%. BFMTV attributed a 0.1 percentage-point GDP drag to heatwaves under the Bercy framing. On Thursday, Insee separately marked 2026 growth at 0.4%; that statistical office print is distinct from the government’s 0.5% forecast and should not be conflated.
Lescure said a prior 5% deficit assumption is no longer an option and did not give a new deficit target, Reuters reported. No replacement deficit figure is stated here.
Sources: Reuters (Lescure growth cut); BFMTV and Euronews (inflation 2.1%, heatwave drag, Insee 0.4% context); Reuters Insee Sep. 10.
