France Inflation Jumps to 3.4% in September, Surprising Analysts

Preliminary EU-harmonized data from Insee shows French inflation accelerating to 3.4% in September from 2.6% in August, an unexpectedly large increase. The surge suggests renewed price pressures in the eurozone's second-largest economy, potentially complicating ECB policy expectations. The magnitude of the jump is uncertain until final data, but it signals upside risks to the inflation trajectory.