(DAMMARIE LES LYS) - President Nicolas Sarkozy told the European Commission on Friday to review its figures after Brussels said it would prepare a formal warning to Paris over its public deficit.

Sarkozy said better-than-expected figures on French growth released on Thursday showed that the EU executive should take a second look at its dire predictions for the French public deficit.

"I am simply saying to Brussels, look at your figures," Sarkozy said during a visit to the Paris region to discuss labour market reform.

The European Commission said this week that it was preparing a formal warning to Paris about its finances, citing forecasts that France could see its public deficit rise to 2.9 percent of output this year and then hit 3.0 percent in 2009.

That would put it perilously close to breaking an EU deficit limit of 3.0 percent and could prove to be embarrassing as France takes over the EU presidency in July.

But Sarkozy said that as the French statistics institute INSEE had reviewed its figures on growth, "maybe Brussels can also question its figures."

The French economy grew last year by 2.1 percent, up from a previous figure of 1.9 percent, INSEE said Thursday.

Growth in the first quarter 2008 was unexpectedly strong at 0.6 percent, up from 0.3 percent in the final quarter of 2007.

In March, France revised upwards its forecast for the state's public deficit this year to 2.5 percent of GDP and to 2.0 percent for 2009.

"France has been showing a budget deficit for 35 years. How can you expect us to restore the situation in 12 months?" Sarkozy asked.

The right-wing government has seized on the reviewed growth figures as a vindication of its reform policies and has vowed to stay the course.

Sarkozy on Friday took a swipe at "all those who thought it was all over" and said "to all those who wrote long articles and commentaries explaining that nothing was possible, I am showing you this figure."

Finance Minister Christine Lagarde described the European Commission's forecast for the public deficit as "outrageously pessimistic."

EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said Wednesday that a decision on issuing a warning to France should be taken before June 2.

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