By Don Nico Forbes and Ed Frankl
Economic growth in France and Spain picked up in the second quarter, helped by household spending and robust exports as the economies overcame some of the uncertainty about the course and consequences of the conflict in the Middle East.
Gross domestic product in France rose 0.2% in the three months through June, rebounding from a 0.1% contraction in the first quarter, while Spain's grew 0.7%, up from 0.6%. Both were slightly ahead of consensus expectations from economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.
Despite continued supply-chain disruptions and higher energy prices, driven by the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran, economies across the eurozone have proved more resilient than many economists had feared following the outbreak of conflict earlier this year.
Spain's economy continues to outperform the wider eurozone, supported by a booming tourism sector, strong investment and robust employment growth fueled in part by higher immigration.
