The French economy has escaped the wider euro-zone recession. But economists, workers and business leaders are not convinced President Francois Hollande is doing what it takes to prevent the country’s economy slipping in coming months. France beat expectations by growing 0.9% on an annualized basis in the third quarter, data showed Thursday. Consumers, whose outlays typically provide over half of total GDP in France, helped the economy by increasing their spending 1.1% on an annualized basis. That comes as a relief to President François Hollande and his government, who see the growth as a reason to believe they can d ... (full story)