The European economies have gained some upward momentum. They finally began to recover from a slowdown, although at a different pace. For example, French economy grew by 0.2 percent in the last quarter of 2015. Annually, GDP accelerated by 1.1 percent.
Some experts attribute such growth to the unseasonably mild weather conditions, that is why the consumer spending on heating declined.
Meanwhile, retail sales dropped by 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter probably as a result of the Paris terrorist attacks in November. However, retail sales grew by 1.4 percent year-over-year, and the corporate investment increased by 1.3 percent on a quarterly basis. These indicators have shown the strongest figures since the financial crisis of 2008.
According to analysts’ estimates, another EU member, Spain, is developing at a faster pace. In the fourth quarter, the economy advanced by 0.8 percent. Step by step, the country climbs out of recession as a number of indicators demonstrated upbeat readings. Unemployment decreased while the GDP expanded by 3.2 percent year-over-year. Experts believe that the Spanish economy is in steady condition to cope with political disturbance which took place after the general election.
