What are the main causes of the growth slowdown in France and Europe?

I n the first half of 2018 in France and the euro zone , growth slowed markedly compared with its pace in 2017: it is trending at 0.2% per quarter in France compared with 0.7% in 2017; and at 0.4% per quarter in the euro zone compared with 0.7% in 2017. Cyclical indicators and surveys seem to indicate that this growth slowdown is set to continue. Can we account for it? What are its main determinants? On the demand side, it is important to look at the effects of the rise in oil prices, which outweigh all other mechanisms. On the supply side, the very sharp rise in hiring difficulties among companies is cause for concern.