France's Hollande says economy 'going better'

"Yes, (economy) is going better," stressed French President Francois Hollande on Thursday during a prime-time interview.

"There is more growth, less deficit, less taxes, more competitiveness, more margins for businesses, more purchasing power for workers," Hollande told the state-run France 2 TV.

"That's what I did for four years and that's why I will continue to do till the end of the mandate," he said, adding that his "objective is to modernize the country while preserving its social model."

France forecasts 1.5 percent for the whole year of 2016, up by four percentage points from 2015.