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Countries of the euro, torn on the path of growth and the cost of austerity, are virtually unanimous on Greece. All institutions and capital combined, the pressure is on Athens and a government may be found, but already called upon to choose between honoring its commitments and the abandonment of the euro.

The hypothesis of a rupture between Greece and the common currency had found adherents in late summer 2011 at the height of the dealings between the former Papandreou government and its creditors. After two years of bailouts and broken promises, the scenario is no longer taboo. But never before EU officials had protested as loudly as the "Grexit," as they say in the markets, could be, after all, the least bad solution.

Usually consensus, the Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, opened fire ensuring that "better" than Greece leaves the club money if it does not follow the law. Olli Rehn, his right arm, drives the point home by explaining that the eurozone is now better positioned to absorb the impact. Clearly, Athens would have no means of blackmail with its creditors. For the euro area, the Commissioner insists, "there is no way" to ease the second recovery plan, agreed in March.

In terms of capital, the German Wolfgang Schaeuble wanted to give the "A". The euro area, he said, "can support an output of Greece." And the ECB, two governors abound. If Athens does not say, "there is more reason to support it financially," Jens Weidmann advance, also head of the Bundesbank. From Ireland, a country itself on life support, his colleague Patrick Honohan said that Greece "is ipso facto recover money from the block" if it renounced the word. A set of targeted preceding the appointment of the Eurogroup, on Monday evening in Brussels.

Facade of unity

The message is more political than financial: it is to bring the Greeks – mostly attached to the single currency, according to polls – to withhold their support for extremists and to open their eyes to the illusions that make the soft budget compatible with the euro. Nothing says that this move will lead to the desired result. There is no guarantee that an outflow of Greece would benefit its partners, beyond the political failure it would spend for the common currency and the EU as a whole. Council President Van Rompuy, more nuanced, notes that "the solution to the crisis is growing in Europe."

The puzzle Greek allows at least a facade of unity with leaders of the common currency. At the Eurogroup, two other cases may show otherwise divided, at least undecided: first, how to behave with respect to Spain, apparently unable to meet the target of a budget deficit reduced 3% in 2013, then a game of musical chairs constantly postponed at the head of financial institutions of the EU. Are concerned at least four sensitive positions: President of the Eurogroup (for which the German Wolfgang Schäuble is a candidate), the general direction of the new permanent emergency fund SS, a position at the ECB Executive Board and, finally, the Presidency of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). On this seat, Paris and Berlin diverge, to the despair of many Europeans. French side, the absence this Monday night at the Eurogroup of finance minister – Baroin, outgoing holder of the portfolio, did not go to it – will add to the inertia.

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Presidential in major cities Paris | Leeds | Lyons | Toulouse | Leeds | Sheffield | Liverpool | Bordeaux | Lille

The lake has almost caught fire Thursday in Zurich. The traditional meeting of the shareholders of UBS has turned into a quiet but determined fight. The shareholders of the largest financial institution Swiss have strongly criticized the remuneration policy of the group, before voting 36% against it.

Lengthy explanations of President Kaspar Villiger have done anything to calm the discontented. The welcome bonus of 2 million Swiss francs (1.66 million), booked his designated successor, former Bundesbank President Axel Weber, was singled out. After the trading loss of $ 2.2 billion last fall, bonuses for market operators and their representatives also shocked. The vote is only advisory, but Kaspar Villiger was assured that the bank "takes this result seriously."

Executive Officer of UBS expected to live a difficult meeting. After four years of crisis, which results in the lowest equity valuations, bank shareholders, the U.S. and Europe are growing impatient. Everywhere, the remuneration is in sight. And for the first time, the challenge of these salaries and bonuses to seven figures than the man in the street. Driven by consulting firms or foundations, as Ethos and Actares Switzerland, institutional shareholders, insurers and large pension funds amounted to turn the tone against these huge salaries.

Last week, Credit Suisse, 31.6% of shareholders voted against the plan and executive compensation. Only 23% opposed it a year earlier. Meanwhile, the wage paid to Brady Dougan, the chief American institution, had been halved, 5.8 million Swiss francs (4.8 million) in 2011 against 12.8 million a year earlier. Over the same period, the share value has fallen by 41%. The same day, at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Barclays faced a protest vote by 26.9%, still on the part of remuneration guaranteed pay day loans.

Opposition all the more remarkable that management hoped to have cleared the situation by announcing a week before the general meeting that the executive directors and financial, Bob Diamond and Chris Lucas, would submit half of their 2011 bonuses to performance targets . Originally, Bob Diamond would receive 17.7 million pounds (nearly 22 million euros). The bank chairman, Marcus Agius, has "apologized (to shareholders) and promised that we will move differently in the future."

No vote in France

At the Citigroup, the reaction was even more severe: 55% of shareholders refused to pay $ 15 million promised to the Director, Vikram Pandit, after two years paid a salary by a dollar. This vote was, once again, not binding, the subjects of remuneration remain the prerogative of the board. But the impact in terms of image is of course considerable. Executive Officer of Citigroup has promised to "take seriously the shareholder vote and to consider carefully their remarks."

These votes on compensation plans have gradually imposed from Britain to all OECD countries. Only France is still resistance. "While employers have everything to gain by legitimizing their remuneration, French companies are now the only ones in Europe not to submit payments of their leaders to a general vote of the shareholders," said Pierre-Henri Leroy and President Proxinvest, the French agency governance analysis. The subject was asked in the presidential campaign. Nicolas Sarkozy has declared in favor of a shareholder vote on pay. Francois Hollande has not explicitly expressed on the subject.

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At a time when many companies are trying to renegotiate the pricing terms of their gas supplies, this is a decision that will make noise: Tuesday, the supervising judge of the Commercial Court of Valenciennes has decided to terminate the contract of long-term supply that united the power plant Poweo Pont-sur-Sambre (North) to Italian energy giant ENI.

March 12, the production plant, now owned by the Austrian Verbund electrician, had been placed under safeguard procedure. Reason: it loses about one million euros per week. Three days later, on March 15, the receiver can catch the commercial court by an application to terminate. There is indeed a difference of nearly 40% between the market price of gas and those supply contracts in the long term, indexed to oil prices – which soared for several weeks. What makes the situation untenable for the Pont-sur-Sambre.

A canceled contract

In fact, the judge may decide the termination under two conditions: firstly, this option is necessary to safeguard the debtor on the other hand, the termination shall not affect significantly the activity of the contractor, in ENI case. The Commercial Court of Valenciennes finally concluded that these two conditions were met, indicating that the supply of Poweo Pont-sur-Sambre – to the tune of 150 million euros per year – accounted for only 0 guaranteed fast personal loans.13% of net Business ENI.

After this decision, the Transalpine oil has several ways to try to counteract it: application for annulment with the commercial court, appeal to the court of appeal, cassation … All these procedures require weeks or months. Meanwhile, the Commercial Court's decision is not suspended and the contract between Poweo Pont-sur-Sambre and ENI is actually terminated.

Whatever the intensity of this battle, it will give ideas to large consumers of gas. They now know that they are likely to be heard before the commercial court if their incumbent supplier does not agree a discount to the extent of the plunge in gas prices. Since the development of shale gas in the U.S. (now exporting) in particular, the economy of this energy has completely returned with an offer suddenly extremely abundant.

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Very offensive, Eric Leclerc, head of site leparisien.fr, stated flatly: "In 2007 we were in cabbages, with 300,000 unique visitors per month. Today we have peaks at 5.6 million. ".

National information site highly leveraged local info, leparisien.fr is a special case. 74% of its visitors live outside the Ile-de-France. It is therefore the first and by far, in attendance among the sites of the regional daily press, with 38 million total visits, according to OJD. "Our strength is responsiveness, explains Eric Leclerc. Once an event of national scope is identified, it sends reporters then fed into the site every minute. "

The Battle of the hearing, everyone is set. In the footsteps of their fellow Ile, sites in regions learn to boost their traffic, high growth in recent years. Ouestfrance.fr, which generates 45% of its traffic outside its coverage area, also focusing on the hot news, the "breaking news" and the video. The hearing ladepeche.fr out of the Midi-Pyrenees region reached 36%.

The events taking place in regions which detonate hearings fast payday loans. Thus, the case Merah ladepeche.fr allowed to reach over 12 million visits, as many as ouestfrance.fr. And the day after the election of Miss France in Brest, on December 4, the hearing on letelegramme.com reached 290,000 visits.

More services

The next battle is the pay info. Ladepeche.fr is not the only site to clear this minefield. "We do not expect to be profitable to invest," said Fabien Charmetant letelegramme.com support the site, which, as lavoixdunord.fr, began to form bases of loyal readers online and then look to monetize content.

The big question is which. If free access to information is an unavoidable, media groups know that the information value-added will have a future where users have been réhabitués to pay. In the short term, the safest path is to create more services, that, by their proximity to natural, local newspapers are able to do. Even if they have to relearn this role in a highly fluid technological environment.

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The egg becomes a scarce commodity. Since the entry into force on 1 January of a European directive amending the conditions for laying hens, egg production in France fell 18% in mid-March, after falling 10% in 2011 . "About 5% of farmers have failed to comply with standards on time and no longer have the right to produce," says the National Committee for the Promotion of the egg (CNPO). At the abeyance of some poultry houses, plus the time needed for hens, very prone to stress, to adapt to their new environment and get back to spawn, the producers note. Other countries are affected, such as Spain, Italy, Germany or the UK. In total, Europe suffers from a deficit of 200 million eggs a week.

Faced with this shortage, manufacturers of biscuits, cakes and pasta are worried. They are now buying their eggs at prices 66 to 100% higher than a year ago. "Supply is a real problem," said Romain Nouffert, Managing Director of Lesieur, the French number one edible oil, which provides an increase of 5 to 6% of the price of mayonnaise. A fear shared by Philippe Godard, responsible for the development of the Business Federation of French baking and pastry (FEBPF). "The proportion of eggs in the total composition of revenues may represent 15 to 30% of the total, depending on the product," he says. "The cost may no longer be acceptable or even tolerable, if the rise continues, especially as it adds to the high price of durum wheat," is alarmed, for his part, Christine Petit, Secretary General Union of Industrial Pasta Manufacturers of France (SIFPAF), who represents Lustucru Pastacorp.  

Denouncing "the inertia of the European authorities," the industry is calling for urgent action, particularly for the import of egg products. "If the situation continues, some companies at risk of bankruptcy in four to six months," warns the FEBPF and SIFPAF, associated with the manufacturers of Biscuits and Cakes France, the Union of Bakery crispy and chewy and the Association of food companies developed (ADEPALE) poor credit personal loans. This sector includes more than 104,000 direct jobs in France for a turnover exceeding € 18.3 billion.

The French could pay the bill

The equation is further complicated for manufacturers that they can not pass on the soaring prices of the egg on the shelves, being bound by contracts with the annual distribution. "When you know that 90% of cookies are sold in supermarkets and hypermarkets, we measure the challenges of this situation," says Philippe Godard. Distribution, however, considers that this crisis is temporary. "Our goal is to preserve the purchasing power of consumers and ultimately for the entire industry, sales volumes of these products in store," says Mathieu Pecqueur, agriculture and quality director of the Federation of Commercial and distribution (FCD). "Manufacturers have certainly been integrated into the negotiations completed in late February the rising cost of egg production, we see that since the end of 2011," he adds. From last year, in fact, farmers were already experiencing an increase in wheat and corn used to feed chickens.

One day or another, however, the French should bear the brunt of this crisis of the egg. "The impact on the labels will, in theory, since the momentary during the egg will soon recede," said Charles Pernin, head of nutrition and health issues at the consumer organization CLCV. "Unfortunately, the shelf prices rarely return to normal," he adds. Ultimately, the French can always follow the latest fashion: invest in a hen to produce their own eggs and thus continue to make cakes.

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Scene of guerrilla warfare to CGT. Tuesday morning, Bernard Thibault has changed the agenda of the Confederal Executive Commission – Government organization – to tackle the delicate subject of his estate, scheduled in 2013. According to several sources, the current Secretary General is violently attacked Éric Aubin, head of the Federation of Construction and Mr. Retreats plant, now in the best position to replace him internally. He was particularly criticized for having "declared available for the organization" – see, to replace him – which could "jeopardize the CGT." The tradition is indeed whether the outgoing Secretary General proposes that the name of his successor and not potential candidates who declare themselves. The officers, totally subject to Bernard Thibault, drove home the point by comparing the current situation to that of 1946 when FO had decided to split … Atmosphere.

Launching in December a major consultation to discuss his succession, the head of the CGT has pulled himself shot in the foot. He was convinced that the name of Agnes Naton (or Nadine Prigent, disqualified from because of its rigidity) would come out of the hat. But this is Eric Aubin, supported by large federations Building, Energy, of Railway, Postal, Chemical and others who came out. "Bernard Thibault was completely outdated and no longer knows how to get out today, a judge as part of the organization. Then he attempts a coup but nobody is willing to let him. "  

Thoroughly review the organization of the confederation

It must be said that Eric Aubin warned that if named secretary general he would review thoroughly the organization and operation, very self-centered around the general secretary of the confederation. "It scares some people who will lose their influence," an expert analysis. Including a whole bunch of "retirees" who gravitate to Bernard Thibault and continue, in fact, to hold the reins of the organization.

Nobody really understands what Bernard Thibault to blame Eric Aubin. "He keeps saying he does not reproach him and everything is fine between them but he can not help him put banana peels in its path," Judge a close. The secretary general of the CGT argued for including Eric Aubin is not highlighted at the general meeting on pensions on January 31, at the Zenith in Paris, which marked the launch of the anti-reelection Nicolas Sarkozy. Mere fact truly "objective": the current boss of the CGT – who would have liked to re-enlist a fifth term before members of the Executive Board make him understand that they were not at all favorable – would leave a trace in the history of Central imposing a woman to head the organization. "It's now or never," continues he repeated: Naton Agnes, one of his close confederate in the office, not the name. "Unfortunately Eric Aubin is a man and it does not stick with the designs of Bernard Thibault," quips one part of the plant.

In the end, the Executive Board on Tuesday urged Bernard Thibault to continue its consultation, without changing the terms continually. The head of the CGT must deliver a name to the next meeting on April 17 before embarking on a tour of France to test in the territories. "He will not propose that Eric Aubin, provides one of its members. He will try one last time to push Agnes Naton but we will not be impressed. "

The final decision will be taken on May 30, at a special meeting of the national confederal committee, the parliament of the organization. In the meantime, the Executive Board will have retained a name

.

The marketing of the new iPad Friday has generated less than tails on the sidewalks, but probably more sales than at the launch of the iPad2 a year ago. Apple stores of the largest cities in the world have often opened their doors earlier to satisfy customers eager to see, touch and hold the new object is critically acclaimed. In April 2010, the first iPad has sold 300,000 copies the first day. Estimated Friday night, over a million buyers have fallen for this model faster, with a screen resolution of unprecedented and consistent with the fourth-generation telephone networks. Among them, ironically, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, who stood in line Friday in Los Angeles as an ordinary customer.

Reducing queues at Apple Stores in the U.S. is explained by the supply of new iPad by many other retailers, like Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and by telephone companies and AT & T Verizon payday loans lenders. Sold in Wi-Fi setup to 499 American dollars, 489 euros in Paris, 42,800 yen in Japan, the new iPad promises to consolidate for now ahead of Apple on the niche of digital tablets against rivals such as Samsung and Amazon. Gartner estimates that by 2015 this market will be as important as that of PC with 368 million units will be sold this year. The guts of the new iPad show including a screen made by Samsung and electronic components from Qualcomm, Broadcom, ARM Holdings, Toshiba and Avago Technologies. This information will drive some to buy the shares of these companies to take advantage of the popularity of the iPad Apple has already made the company the world's most expensive with a capitalization of $ 546 billion, twice that of Microsoft.

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After Greece, out of bankruptcy risk through the release of a second bailout of 130 billion euros, it was Spain who finds himself in the crosshairs of the Eurogroup, meeting on Monday evening in Brussels. The Spanish finance minister will have to explain on the skids deficits Spanish before his peers, the European Commission and the ECB President.

The prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, had a surprise, on March 2, alongside the European Council, stating that Spain would build his 2012 budget with a deficit target of 5.8% of GDP, while that agreed with the EU was 4.4%, to reach 3% of GDP deficit in 2013.

The market reaction was not long in coming. Following this, the cost of borrowing from Spain to 10 years jumped to nearly 5% more than for the first time in months, that of Italy. Guardian of the future "fiscal pact", the European Commission ordered a "serious blunder", brandished the threat of financial sanctions and sent experts to Madrid to assess the fiscal situation. Last year, the Spanish public deficit soared more than expected to reach 8.51% of GDP in late 2011.

Threat of sanctions

"There is no questioning of objectives," says the Spanish Minister of Economy, Luis De Guindos, in an interview Sunday on ABC newspaper. "Spain is a loyal member of the EU who feels bound by the European fiscal rules," he says.

Engaged in a very severe austerity measures, faces a general strike in late March because of its reform of the labor market, Spain is weighed down by losses of its regions, which have slipped to 2.9% of GDP against only 1.3% under-the Madrid region meets its objectives, which weighs heavily on central government accounts.

Barely out of the Greek crisis, "the euro area can not afford a new speculative attack," recalls one in Brussels. The Commission will ask the government to submit a plan "credible" to bring deficits to 3% in 2013, implying a say in Brussels on the draft budget 2012 Spanish.

Monday night, finance ministers from the euro area will give the green light to launch the second program of aid to Greece. Of 130 billion euros, the IMF should be involved up to 18 billion, said Christine Lagarde.

Even the Germans say they are reassured about the situation in Greece. "I am confident that the measures taken hard by the Greek government will put the country on the road to recovery," said German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, unwilling to speculate on a third plan to help … To parry , the European Central Bank will continue its buybacks of bonds on the secondary market, ensures Coeuré Benedict, a member of the Executive Board of the ECB to Japanese newspaper Nikkei.

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2011 a year full of contrasts in terms of employment. After a positive first half, payroll employment has declined significantly over the second half of the year. In the fourth quarter of 2011, the French economy has destroyed 22,600 jobs in the principally market sectors (-0.1% over the previous quarter), according to revised figures released Thursday by INSEE.

This is slightly less than the third quarter, when for the first time in two years, the statistician public records a decline in employment of 31,500 jobs (-0.2%). Gave its provisional figures until the third quarter slightly creates jobs. With a dynamic first half, 67,300 jobs have been created, however, over one year is a positive trend of 0.4%.  

The ACOSS, which accounts for job creation on a slightly different scope, in turn finds a changing "stable in the last quarter as in the previous quarter, after five consecutive quarters of increases," with 9,300 jobs created. Both agencies agree on a shift in the trend in the second half, where the employment has clearly stalled.

Temporary employment down

Over 90% of job losses announced by INSEE also follows the decline in temporary employment fast cash without a hassle. The trend is accelerating in the fourth quarter, with 21,100 destroyed in acting positions, against 12,900 the previous quarter. A first after nine quarters of the rise, INSEE said. This leading indicator of labor market, more sensitive to cyclical fluctuations, does not bode well from the beginning of 2012.

In detail on this last quarter, the industry, which had suffered severely from the crisis of 2008-2009 before stabilizing its workforce in mid 2011, again losing 1700 jobs, slightly less than the third quarter (5100) . Over one year, the sector recorded a negative trend of 0.1%, or 2,100 jobs destroyed.

This is less than the construction, which lost 0.8% of its workforce over one year (11,900 jobs) and 0.3% in the fourth quarter (4600 positions). After a decline in service employment excluding temporary in the third quarter, the industry found in the fourth quarter, however a small increase (4,900 jobs).

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