French Finance Chief Says Government Collapse Dented Growth

The toppling of France’s government last month has shaved 0.3 percentage points off output and deprived the state of much-needed tax revenue to repair the budget, according to new Finance Minister Eric Lombard.

“Uncertainty brings investment and hiring to a stop,” he told BFM TV on Friday. “We have probably lost around 0.3 points of economic growth, so it’s very costly, and then €6 billion ($6.2 billion) of lost revenues.”

The minister’s comments come after the new administration appointed in December survived a no-confidence vote at the National Assembly on Thursday as both the far-right and most Socialists ...