The French economy unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter, while October inflation accelerated to the highest level since late 2023, due to what Economy Minister Roland Lescure described as an unprecedented mix of external and internal shocks. France's preliminary GDP fell 0.1% in the third quarter, while analysts polled by Reuters were expecting a 0.1% rise. Harmonized year-on-year inflation, adjusted for comparison with other euro zone countries, was 3.8% in October, exceeding analysts' forecast of 3.6%.