Germany on the edge of recession (La Tribune)

Is it possible to believe in the reassuring words of the highest European authorities saying that there is no reason that Europe faces recession? Today's dossier, Friday, of the daily paper La Tribune, can make you perplex. First, by its title: "The German economy is on the edge of recession ". Then, its main theme. It deals with the last speech of the German Finance Minister who "has announced yesterday that the growth in 2001 won't exceed 0.75% whereas its last official forecast was 2%, a growth almost nil or negative for the last two terms". However, everyone knows that Germany is the driving-force of the European Union. Facts won't go away. You can be all the more perplex nowadays that the United States have just done the same thing. Two or three months after, they finally admit that their country is facing a recession, and even before the tragic attacks of September 11th.