Macron inherits France's first economic tailwind in a decade

Paris

EMMANUEL Macron may be the first French president in a decade to inherit an economic tailwind.

Business confidence in the euro region's second-largest economy is on the rise, hitting the highest level since 2011 last month, and a measure of private-sector activity points to solid economic growth. The euro is down by about a fifth in the past three years and, despite a strengthening recovery in the currency zone, European Central Bank president Mario Draghi has indicated he won't rush to aggressively tighten monetary policy.