Paris (AFP)

The evolution of the French gross domestic product (GDP) is likely to fall again in the last quarter, due to the second epidemic wave and the curfew imposed in many departments, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le warned on Friday. Mayor.

"In the same way that in the fourth quarter we risk having a negative growth figure, I tell you that there will be a strong rebound in the French economy in 2021 and that we will be able to find our development figure in 2022. economic 2019, "said Bruno the Mayor on Europe 1.

This probable relapse of the French economy "is not a surprise", added the minister, explaining that this eventuality was integrated in the forecast of contraction of the GDP of 10% made by the government for the whole of the year 2020.

"We knew that the epidemic could start again and because there are a lot of international uncertainties," he said.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced an enlargement of the curfew, which will now affect 54 departments and Polynesia, for a total of 46 million French people.

He also indicated that the economic support measures decided on for metropolitan areas already under curfew (solidarity fund, exemptions from contributions and partial unemployment) would be extended to all the territories concerned.

While the minister had estimated the cost of this support at around 1 billion euros with the first restrictions, he indicated that "today, if we take the 56 departments for a six-week curfew, we have a overall cost of just over 2 billion euros ".

"There is no need to worry" on the financing of this aid, he added, however.

"We had planned 9 billion euros on the solidarity fund, we only spent 6, so we can hold out until the end of the year with the sums we had planned", he said. he so explained.

"If, beyond that, the measures were to continue, we would reload the devices," the minister further warned.

© 2020 AFP