French President Francois Hollande on Friday foresaw a stronger growth next year thanks to an better-than-expected performance of the French economy and a recovery in the European bloc.

"We can slightly revise up the growth forecast for 2014," Hollande told the daily Le Monde.

"A recovery in France and Europe is looming. I had mentioned that on July 14 and this has been confirmed," he added without giving a new target.

Looking for 2014, the government wants to accelerate the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.2 percent thanks to a package of social and economic measures.

The Socialists were scheduled to detail their 2014 economic roadmap at the end of September, after presenting next year's budget draft to the parliament.

Amid growing critics over plans to raise corporate taxes in 2014, the president said it was time to ease off hikes.

"Thanks to the major savings achieved, the time has come for a pause (in tax rises) - earlier than we had foreseen," he noted.

In its regular review on France's economy released earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) hailed France's "significant progress already achieved towards consolidating public finances," but recommended "a smoother pace of adjustment than envisaged in the Stability Program to support the hesitant recovery." Endi

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