PARIS, France, July 30, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - France's economy returned to growth in the second quarter of this year after contracting slightly in the first period, statistics office INSEE said Thursday in its first estimate.

The second-biggest economy in the European Union recorded growth of 0.2 percent, INSEE said, up from a contraction of 0.1 percent in the previous quarter, owing to stronger domestic demand and healthier export figures.