The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has a new president: the senior official of Indian origin Suma Chakrabarti, currently serving in the Ministry of Justice UK. The candidate endorsed by London was elected last night at the general meeting of the bank on the third ballot, with some 52% of the vote. He was then still opposed to the French Philippe de Fontaine Vive Curtaz (23% of the vote), Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), supported by Paris, and German Thomas Mirow (18% of votes) , the post of chairman since 2008, candidate to succeed him – who had the favor of Berlin.

This is the first time in the history of the EBRD, the presidency of the bank escapes to France or Germany. A result largely due to the impossibility What had the countries of the European Union to agree on an upstream joint application.

The EBRD was created in response to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. While the Soviet bloc fell one by one, Western leaders had been seized by the fear of emptiness. And it took them just six months to organize an international conference at the Elysee, in the month of May 1990, the treaty establishing the EBRD was signed by 40 heads of state or government, plus the European Commission and the EIB .

Expanded mission

Less than a year later, in April 1991, its headquarters was in working in London in a building of marble, with a little too flashy luxury that will require Jacques Attali, its first president, to resign two years later . The latter, as "special adviser" of Mitterrand, will not remain forever under his real designer.

"A third World Bank, two-thirds Lazard," was launched Attali, who wanted to avoid the rigidities of official development assistance. Today, with a capital of 30 billion euros, it never occurs alone but in partnership with private operators, mainly banks. In principle, its participation in financing projects should not exceed 35%.

His second feature, which distinguishes it from all other international financial institutions, its mission is to promote the market economy, but with intervention only in countries that are subject to "democratic principles", according to terms of reference. Its scope is vast, ranging from the restructuring of public enterprises and SME support to nuclear safety and decommissioning of old plants, including the Chernobyl site.

More original still, the EBRD is defined as deliberately "a bank of Transition" (sic). It is not intended to stay on forever, she believes. "Once the mission is to support the market economy accomplished in a country, we close representation," we said Jean Lemierre, who chaired the EBRD from 2001 to 2008. Initially, she had to withdraw in 2010 the countries that joined the EU in 2004, and it may seem paradoxical that the EBRD remains in Slovakia and Slovenia, which joined the euro area. But because of the financial crisis of 2008, it was agreed that she would remain until 2015.

While the volume of its loans reached a cruising speed of 9 billion euros a year (a quarter in favor of Russia), the shift in the South has been the hallmark of the mandate of Thomas Mirow. He believes that the EBRD is now able to "attract 7.5 billion euros of investment per year in North Africa and Jordan."

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In 2008, he cherished the hope of becoming the first secretary of the PS. But he had finally lined up behind the candidacy of Bertrand Delanoe. In 2011, he thought he could be a candidate for the Socialist primary. Then he threw in the towel, choosing to support Dominique Strauss-Kahn, then rallying Francois Hollande not without obtaining the position of campaign manager. Pierre Moscovici, 54, has learned to give up. Here he is rewarded. He is back in force to the government and assigned the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade. Certainly it does not get the Quai d'Orsay which he dreamed, Laurent Fabius was his favorite. But he inherited a portfolio to match its ambitions. And thereby in passing some disappointed, Michel Sapin in mind. "Mosco" consensual socialist, social democrat, is now a heavyweight team Ayrault, number five in protocol order.

It is he who will be at the forefront of the debt crisis. There is no shortage of assets since knows the workings of Europe. He was, for five years, from 1997 to 2002, Minister Delegate for European Affairs in the Jospin government. At the time, the rise of the Express near the then prime minister, who had just been elected deputy of the Doubs for the first time, had been criticized. But, he will prove himself. Former MEP, a graduate of Sciences Po and ENA, he will prepare no quack the French presidency of the EU, negotiating the Treaty of Nice and the European Constitutional Treaty. During this period of cohabitation, he managed also to find his place against Jacques Chirac. In fact, the President of the Republic and the Socialist Minister for European Affairs are of course in these five years: Chirac taking the young minister with no experience under his wing, even to comfort him when he doubted. An agreement with Lionel Jospin was annoyed.

After the failure of the left in 2002, Moscovici was defeated in the parliamentary elections in the Doubs. A year earlier, he had already failed to municipal Montbéliard. Without parliamentary seat, without mayor, he tried his luck with the 2004 European and found his seat in Strasbourg. In 2007 he was again legislative candidate in the Doubs. This time he wins.

Pierre Moscovici, tried by the Revolutionary Communist League when he was young, joined the PS in 1984. He was close to Michel Rocard, Jospin and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, his former professor at the ENA. He is the son of a social psychologist Serge Moscovici, who was a member of the Romanian Communist Party and fled his country in 1947. Pierre Moscovici was the first to openly criticize the Socialist Francois Mitterrand and his relationship with Rene Bousquet. "What shocks me, he said, is that he can spawn with someone who has been a tool of the state anti-Semitism and an accomplice of the final solution of the Reich." … …..

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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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The new president, Francois Hollande, he will see in the figures released Thursday one more reason to fight to include a growth component in the European priorities? He will find anyway confirmation that we will have to roll up their sleeves for the activity to return to France.

The Banque de France (BDF) has announced a forecast of zero growth of the economy in the second quarter 2012 – INSEE, it provides a small rebound in the spring, 0.2%. The BDF had previously announced a steady growth for the first quarter. That is to say that the French might be sluggish activity in the first six months of the year.

The unknown Greek

To quote the head of its program, Michel Sapin, a few days ago, Francois Hollande will have no state of grace on the economic front! The latter based his economic program on a growth forecast of 0.5% this year (followed by 1.7% next year and 2% in 2014 and 2% to 2.5% thereafter until 2017 ). A hypothesis that remains credible, unless the Greek turbulence does just weaken the entire euro zone.

In tests conducted by the Banque de France, the prospects in the services today are estimated by "slight erosion". As for industry, they indicate that the order books do not evolve and are also counting on "a slight decline in activity for the coming months easy payday loans."

The National Institute of Statistics, parallel, published a study that confirms this gloom. In March, the production of the entire industry declined (-0.9%), consumption of electricity and gas has "declined sharply with the warm weather." Production of manufacturing industry, it has increased over one month (1.4%), but it is only to offset the decline in February.

Judgment of the Petit Couronne refinery

Moreover, throughout the first quarter, production fell 0.5% in manufacturing. A sharp decline (-1.7%) compared to what the production of the first quarter of 2011. In one year, some areas have suffered more: the production has fallen sharply in electrical, electronic and computer (-1.7%) and to a lesser extent, transport equipment (-0.6%). Refining, marked especially by cessation of the Petit Couronne refinery, fell sharply (-18.4%), also stresses the INSEE. Conversely, the agricultural and food industries have their own in the game

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The ras-le-bol rises among users of TGV Nantes / Angers / Le Mans / Paris. And also the response … The members of the collective defense of Subscribers Line Atlantic (Ladala) took a new step in their protest movement against the repeated delays of the station, on the line leading to the capital. The trick to reach the railway portfolio. To do this, they have not hesitated to launch a "ghost TGV" massively by booking every seat of a TGV line in question. Of seats they will not play of course. Each member buying between 5 and 10 seats, 800 seats have already been blocked, all classes, as pointed out this morning on RTL Pascal Mignot, the representative of the collective.

Reaction except the SNCF, the train should travel empty, which would result in a serious shortfall. Because the protesters are concerned subscribers, a status that gives them access to places for a mere $ 1.50. And the date chosen is not trivial since the 250 members of Ladala have set Wednesday, May 16, the eve of Ascension Day and the weekend so great starts.

Greece of tickets

This is not the first time Ladala tries to voice his displeasure. Mid-March, the group had launched a strike of tickets and passes, along with daily rallies in trains and on platforms. Faced with the continuing delays and lack of financial consequences for the SNCF, the association thus increases the pressure, also taking on its website a statement of the duration of the movement, and delays on this line.

Faced with the accumulation of failures since the schedule changes in December 2011, their demands are clear: rate freeze on packages (over 500 euros per month), on-time to avoid disputes with employers, indemnity 2.5 euros per 10 minutes late, and got 150 euro for subscribers to compensate for failures of January, February and March. In total, officials estimate that the collective duration of 14 hours cumulative delays over this period.

Side of the Authority of the quality of service in transport (AQST, dependent on the Ministry of Ecology), although the figures show a surge in failures since November, with up to 30% of trains delayed . But since February, the trend seems to be improving. Apparently not enough to calm those subscribers, still wearing a badge "subscribers on strike," which also launched an online petition and sent a letter to presidential candidates. Denouncing a 18% increase in travel time on an ordinary trip to Le Mans / Paris, they have finally created a Twitter account inviting followers to list all the failures of the Atlantic line. An initiative that has been emulated the Creusot subscribers and Amiens have since joined the movement.

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Nothing works for Nokia and its new boss Stephen Elop. A week after reducing its forecasts for mobile phones in the first half of this fiscal year, the Finnish group said the extent of damage. The group, which is losing its world of telephony in favor of South Korea's Samsung, has declined by 29% of its turnover in the first quarter, to 7.35 billion euros. Nokia says it has shipped 82 million mobile phones in the first quarter, with a decline in sales in this activity by 40%.

The result remains in the red, as in the last quarter of 2011. But the operating loss increased to EUR 1.3 billion. Now the two core businesses of Nokia show losses. In mobile phones, the operating loss represents 3% of sales against 10% more profit for the same period of 2011 free credit score. In equipment for telecommunications networks, Nokia Siemens Networks' book including the mobile network of Free, the operating loss reached 5% of revenues.

Especially in the short term, the outlook remains bleak. The loss in mobile phones should be of similar magnitude in the second trimestre.Les sales of Nokia mobile also collapse in North America and Chine.La only glimmer of hope rests on smartphones equipped with a Operating from Microsoft, including the aircraft from the Lumia provided the U.S. with T-Mobile and AT & T.

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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Sluggish start to the year for consumers. The French have reduced their spending by 0.4% in January, reports the INSEE. In December, consumption had fallen by 0.2%, a figure revised up 0.5 point. Compared to January 2011, consumption fell 2.2%.

Household spending fell in virtually all sectors. In particular, they continued to crumble in clothing (-2.3%), despite the sales and after falling 1.7% in December.

This is especially the collapse of automobile purchases by 7.6% in January from 2.8% in December, which sealed the figure released today. Registrations have also unscrewed 20.7% compared with January 2011. "Households may indeed have anticipated their purchases of cars face of tougher no-claims bonus on 1st January 2012," INSEE advance.  

Among the few sectors rising, the food recovers (1.4%), after declining steadily over the past six months. "This decline is expected to continue as households are turning to cheaper goods in shops cheaper", the BNP Paribas economists. Energy costs have in turn bounced (2%) with the return of cold. This trend should continue and thus provide some support consumption in February, economists expect Societe Generale CIB.

Rising unemployment and uncertainties related to the crisis in the euro area seem to continue to weigh on household spending. This traditional driver of French growth had stalled in 2011, dropping by 0.5% over the year.

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Lefigaro.fr is the first news site in France in January. The study Médiamétrie / NetRatings, it was viewed by over 8.8 million unique visitors a month. A hearing is always the historic site of Figaro to a million users of the follower.

Development, the second place, occupied by Orange in December, was conquered by the Nouvel Observateur. High of 7.7 million unique monthly visitors, the site of the weekly benefits from the integration of "pure player" Rue89, bought in December.

Launched in late January, the site of the Huffington Post has also brought new visitors to the World, which brought together a total of 7.3 million Internet users in January. The web offers daily evening was nevertheless made the steal third place from the site of Le Parisien / Today in France, with nearly 7.5 million unique visitors.

January has generally drawn the hearings of the press line up. Portals and aggregators of articles edited by tech giants have, themselves, not take advantage of the French appetite for news. Orange News was relegated to sixth place in the ranking with 6.7 million unique visitors, Yahoo! News is eighth with 5.4 million visitors, MSN News and Google News are respectively the 11th and 13th.

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It was to be expected. Recruitment of young graduates in the audit consultant should decrease in 2012. However, nothing to do with the situation of 2009, the year of drastic reduction in hiring plans. Overall, the activity of firms is maintained but the turnover of employees, which can reach 20% in good times, tends to slow. With the financial crisis, young consultants do not receive many job offers from their customers. This is less of starters to replace. "Earlier this year, our recruitment should be more selective, confirms Baculard Hervé, President of Syntec management consulting. But we can not exclude surprises for the second half, with a wave of more opportunities for young graduates. "

Pending a hypothetical thinning, caution is called for. As with Deloitte, which provides 750 to 800 hires graduates, two-thirds of tray 5 and a third tray for two or three trades of public accounting. Same trend at Mazars, announcing 350 new hires for beginners, the same as in 2011. Sylvie Bernard-Curie, HR Advisory, KPMG Audit, estimates that it will hire "as much or slightly less than last year. Our goal is 720 graduates in CDI. " For its part, PwC expects a small decline: 470 recruits out of school against 520 last year. Less CDI also to sign with Accenture, which provides all the same 350 to 400 reinforcements of graduates (excluding trainees).

Open to university profiles

Side outlets, this is a return to fundamentals. The financial audit is to remain the preferred gateway for juniors. "This area is much more resistant than other more sensitive to economic conditions, such as transactions and mergers and acquisitions," says Isabelle encumber, director of recruitment at PwC. Beginners are also popular in the Outsourcing and Accounting and consulting in strategy and management. For these trades, "the needs are very important from our customers in areas affected by new regulations such as bancassurance, or the energy sector," says Jean-Marc Mickeler, Brand Manager of Deloitte employer .

In an uncertain economic times, employers do not they go play it safe by focusing on candidates in business schools at the expense of academics? The firms insist they will continue to open in the same proportions in the Masters 2 (bac +5). "Beware of clichés. The courses are less uniform than a decade ago. Now, there are Masters who have interned, completed a double degree or completed a stay abroad, ensures Sylvie Bernard-Curie. This makes them interesting and graduate school of management. "

According to the firms, recruitment of academics could be more if some schools were more open to the world of business. "We must do a great job of selection to identify the best Masters in terms of skills and language among the thousands that exist, says Caroline Haquet, Recruitment Manager at Mazars (25% of academics). However, to communicate with campus, we have not always clearly identified as an interlocutor. There is an entry barrier higher than in larger schools. "

Demanding recruitment processes

Personality test, business cases, interviews … processes differ from one firm to another.

Deloitte. Successful applicants are entitled to an initial interview with a collaborator. Meanwhile, they pass a personality test and English. The best after a second interview with a partner. The objective: to verify the intellectual agility, openness and adaptability of the candidate.

KPMG. After an initial selection of CV, the candidate is received for a "discovery interview" accompanied by an English test and a personality test by questionnaire. If it passes these tests, he participated in a morning with the program: a presentation of activities, a second interview with a manager or a partner in the area of ​​their choice and a lunch with a young executive in the firm who will advise on the new recruit.

PwC. Candidates whose CVs have been identified individually meet with an HR manager in a key English test computer. Second step for the survivors: the realization of a business case directly with an operational manager. Finally, the "cream of the cream" is entitled to a final validation interview with a partner. The purpose of this very selective process, "validate the candidate's interpersonal skills, ability to listen and understand customer needs."

Accenture. First step, an interview of "motivation", conducted partly in English with a manager. The same day, the candidates must address collectively, in groups of about 10, the resolution of a business case. Then, the floor is, this time individually on solving another case business. The best are selected to meet a partner.

Mazars. No personality test, or resolution of business cases. Each session (in January and June) begins with an oral presentation of the firm to selected candidates. Then place two successive interviews with the firm's business. Each interview covers a portion of the CV. If the candidate is selected, it has a third interview a few days later with a more senior manager or partner.  

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