PARIS (Reuters) - France cut state spending for the first time in years in 2014, which means the public deficit was likely kept on target, Finance Minister Michel Sapin told Reuters.
Preliminary Finance Ministry figures published on Thursday showed the shortfall in the state's budget was trimmed last year to 85.6 billion euros, or 3.4 billion euros (3 billion pound) less than previously forecast.
"It's the first time in such a significant way that the control and cutting of state spending has been translated into acts," Sapin said.
"Everything at this point provides comfort for our forecast for a public deficit in 2014 of 4.4 percent of GDP," he added. More definitive figures are due in March.
The government hopes to cut the overall deficit from 4.4 percent of output last year to 4.1 percent this year, largely through plans for unprecedented budget savings of 21 billion euros, with 7.7 billion coming from the central state government.
The better-than-expected result could offer Paris some much needed kudos with Brussels and Berlin as it seeks extra time to cut its deficit in the face of weak economic growth.
