EU Slashes Growth Forecast to 1.1% as Middle East Energy Shock Reignites Inflation Across the Bloc
The European Commission’s Spring 2026 Economic Forecast, published on 21 May, revises EU GDP growth down to 1.1% for 2026 from the 1.4% projected in Autumn, while inflation jumps to 3.1% – a full percentage point higher than previously forecast – as the Middle East conflict drives a new energy shock.