Is the Weimar Republic returning?
* * * * * J B K * * * * *
San Francisco
Europe's economy expanded at a faster pace than economists forecast in the first quarter as a global recovery boosted exports, helping the region overcome the Greek fiscal crisis and consumers' reluctance to increase spending.
Gross domestic product in the 16 euro nations rose 0.2 percent from the fourth quarter, when it remained unchanged, the European Union's statistics office in Luxembourg said today. Economists had forecast growth of 0.1 percent, the median of 31 estimates in a Bloomberg survey showed. Industrial production gained 1.3 percent in March from February, when it rose 0.7 percent, a separate report showed.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=aNiu1cXXGWqc
