Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected the eurozone’s growth from April through June of this year to be just 0.2%. The growth of the 21-country currency bloc, as reported by Eurostat on Thursday, also marked a sharp improvement compared with the stagnation in the first quarter, which was largely caused by the economic turmoil triggered by the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February.
The rise in exports led Germany and France, the EU’s two largest economies, to post growth of 0.2% in the second quarter. Italy and Spain, the third- and fourth-largest economies in the eurozone, also exceeded analysts’ forecasts, posting growth of 0.2% and 0.7%, respectively.
Ireland leads the way with quarterly growth of 3.9%, Lithuania posted growth of 1.7%, and Sweden recorded an increase of 1.4%. Stable employment and rising incomes in the eurozone supported domestic consumption, which in turn boosted the economy.
In Moldova, growth is forecast to remain weak in the second quarter. Experts at Trading Economics forecast quarterly GDP growth of 0.7% (compared to the first quarter of 2026) and annual growth of about 2.5%.
International institutions do not expect a trend reversal toward acceleration until at least the end of the year, when actual disbursements under the EU Growth Plan are set to begin.
Surveys of top managers at Moldovan companies predicted relative stability for the second quarter, with no sharp declines but moderate price increases and continued workforce optimization (moderate staff reductions).
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