The eurozone has bounced back from its shallow technical recession after a stronger than expected performance by its “big four” economies in the first three months of 2024. After two successive quarters of 0.1% contraction in the second half of 2023, the 20 nations that use the single currency posted growth of 0.3% between January and March. Figures from the European Commission’s statistical agency – Eurostat – showed the eurozone had put in its best growth performance since the third quarter of 2022. Financial markets had been expecting 0.2% growth. Related: Eurozone escapes recession as France, Spain, Germany and Italy beat growth forecasts – business live Lower energy prices, falling inflation, rising real wages and the prospect of cuts in interest rates helped to boost activity after a downbeat 2023 in which the eurozone only grew in one quarter. Europe’s two biggest economies – Germany and France – grew by 0.2%, while Italy and Spain posted growth of 0.3% and 0.7% respectively. Germany’s performance in the final three months of 2023 was worse than originally thought: the economy contracted by 0.5% rather than 0.3%. Of the smaller eurozone economies, the best performing were Ireland, which grew by 1.1% in the...