Germany, the eurozone's biggest economy, remains the fulcrum and its sustained economic expansion is expected to continue through to the country's general election later this year.There are hopes that the eurozone will pick up further steam in the second quarter following recent surveys indicating an uptick in April, particularly in France. So far, defeats for populist politicians in Austria and the Netherlands have shored up confidence in the markets that there won't be a lurch toward a break-up of the single currency or of the wider European Union itself.However, concerns over Britain's withdrawal from the EU will remain. In March, before calling a general election, Prime Minister Theresa May triggered the formal two-year Brexit process.There are already signs that worries over Britain's future are hurting the country's economy - growth slowed to 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of the year from 0.7 per cent in the previous three-month period.Growth in Britain is widely expected to remain soft as it negotiates its EU exit. The economy is expected to be hobbled by uncertainty - both businesses and consumers may put off spending until they know how the post-Brexit environment looks. And the pound's sharp fall since last June's Brexit vote has pushed up prices, which is weighing on consumers at a time when wage increases are modest.

Source: Economic Times May 03, 2017 11:48 UTC