French preoccupation with the fall-out from the credit squeeze and the problems in the US economy is turning from schadenfreude at the flaws in Anglo-Saxon financial capitalism to mild concern about France's own economic prospects, writes Ben Hall.

With limited exposure to subprime mortgage debt, a relatively solid housing market and the effects of last year's tax cuts feeding through, the government is sticking to its forecast of 2 to 2.5 per cent growth in 2008.