PARIS, June 3 - Following are economists' reactions to data issued on Tuesday by national statistics office INSEE showing France's consumer confidence index rose to minus 27 in May from minus 29 in April.
DOMINIQUE BARBET, ECONOMIST, PARIBAS
"The main reason for this improvement is the reduction in inflation, which is giving people the impression that they have slightly more purchasing power. "This is linked to the drop in energy prices due to the end of the war in Iraq. "We will have to see how pension reform protests pan out as they don't appear to have had much of an effect on the May figures. "It is possible we will see another small improvement (in June)."//