PARIS: The French economy should quickly recover once curbs to limit the spread of coronavirus are lifted, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday.

Le Maire also told France 2 TV that the euro zone's second-biggest economy could "surprise" the rest of the zone in its capacity for an economic recovery.

On Monday, the Bank of France said France would probably post "slightly positive" growth in the first quarter over the previous quarter, when it shrank 1.4%.

If first-quarter growth was maintained through 2021, annual economic growth would come in at 4%, it added.