You're reading: Minister: Spain to fall back into recession

MADRID (AP) — New Economy Minister Luis de Guindos says Spain will slide back into recession early next year with the current quarter and the first of 2012 both registering negative growth.

De Guindos said Monday he expects the Spanish economy — the eurozone’s fourth largest — to contract by between 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent in the final three months and again in the first quarter of next year.

Spain began to emerge from a near two-year recession last year.

It had two successive quarters of growth in 2011 before posting zero growth in the third period.

De Guindos took office last week as part of the new conservative Popular Party government.

Last Thursday he said he was confident the country would emerge from its severe economic crisis.