Germany, France upbeat in face of uncertainty abroad: polls

Berlin

EUROPE'S biggest economies are showing signs of resilience despite weakness abroad and the refugee crisis on their own doorstep, with firms in Germany and France expressing optimism about their prospects, surveys on Thursday showed.

Such strength in the face of economic headwinds from China and other emerging markets could give European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers pause for thought as they consider whether to expand the bank's trillion-euro stimulus programme.