国际英语新闻:French FinMin predicts "very difficult" economic climate in 2013

PARIS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici on Sunday forecasted a feeble growth next year in the country.

Speaking to the weekly paper Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), Moscovici hoped that the government's reforms would contribute to the country's recovery by 2014.

"We must tell the truth to the French people. No need to hide it. For the world, Europe and France, 2013 will be the year of feeble growth. We know that it will be again a quite difficult year," the minister said.

"However, we'll do everything to overturn the unemployment curve by the end of 2013. We hope for an economic recovery. At that time, we'll be ready to reap the fruits," he told the JDD.

Despite the flagging competitiveness and an unemployment rate standing at a 13-year high, the Socialists expected a bounce in the Europe's main powerhouse next year thanks to a package of measures worth 37 billion euros (49 billion U.S. dollars).

Looking to 2013, France aimed to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.8 percent from an expected 0.3 percent this year and to cut the budget deficit to 3 percent compared to 4.5 percent set for the whole year of 2012.

To Moscovici, the government's targets were within reach with a removal of the financial uncertainty in Europe, boost of French competitiveness and investment and sustained consumption.

"If these three conditions would be met, we can achieve our growth forecast, before a real recovery in 2014. This is the meaning and purpose of our economic policy," he stressed.