EU Narrowly Avoids Recession -- Due to Strength of Germany -- Oil Rises

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Brent crude oil futures gained on Tuesday, as the euro zone narrowly avoided recession and as better-than-forecast German first quarter GDP data raised hopes that Germany will steer the way through the European debt crisis.

The euro zone economy stagnated, with zero growth, the EU's statistics office Eurostat said on Tuesday.
The results were more positive than forecast, boosting riskier assets, but the region's debt crisis has sapped the life out of the French and Italian economies and widened a split with paymaster Germany.

My hunch is that Mr Hollande will lead the French out of their economic morass.