Jul 9




This time, the Fininvest will have to pay. The court sentenced him on Saturday appealed the group owned by Silvio Berlusconi to pay 560 million euros in the CIR group, owned by Carlo de Benedetti. The judges of the Court of Appeal of Milan have found that control of the publisher Mondadori, obtained in 1991 by Fininvest, to the detriment of the EIF through a favorable court decision, was made possible by the corruption of judge and lawyers involved. In 2007, the Criminal Justice had issued a similar notice, including the judge sentenced Vottorio Metta was stationed in nearly three years in prison.

On appeal, the Milan judges, however, reduced the magnitude of the financial penalty, determined in the first instance to 750 million euros.Unlike 2007, the decision will also be immediately enforceable: Fininvest will address 560 million euros in damages without waiting for the trial to the Supreme Court that the group should seek. "Our lawyers are already beginning to study the complaint," has indeed responded Marina Berlusconi, the eldest daughter of the Head of Government and president of Fininvest. This assesses the amount of the penalty "to double the participation of Fininvest in Mondadori."

Electoral setback and legal troubles

The Cavaliere had nevertheless worked hard to save the payment of such penalty to the group. Approaching the verdict, he did not hesitate to try to vote by Parliament an amendment to the Civil Code suspending sanctions in excess of 20 million euros on appeal, until the final decision of the court of Cassation.A measure to be adopted in the Bill ratifying the austerity plan. Faced with the outcry in the opinion of this measure, the Cavaliere has this week backed down.

This decision is more bad news for the chairman, who combines political defeats in recent months and legal troubles. Also implicated in the "Rubygate" Silvio Berlusconi suffered a severe mid-June electoral setback. The Italians have indeed overwhelmingly (over 94%) rejected four bills proposed by his government and put to a referendum: one devoted to the construction of new nuclear power stations, one on the privatization of water management by municipalities, and two providing legal immunity of ministers and the chairman of the board. Silvio Berlusconi, who announced Friday he would not stand in 2013, probably did not finish with the law.

Jul 8




This year, 12 million tax returns were made via the Internet, according to Bercy. Now a taxpayer in three (there are 36 million homes tax in France) chose the Web to meet in the spring of this task which then allows the tax authorities to calculate the income tax (IR) to pay.

Set up in 2002, the Electronic Filing is getting stronger year after year: 7.4 million followers in 2008, 10.5 million in 2010. This is due, among other things, the simplification of the system. In 2009, the State has decided not to ask for electronic certificate, which allows their returns from any computer. The IR, which is paid 53% of the 36 million tax households, reported 47 billion euros to the state in 2010.

Jun 29




After the accident nucléraire Japan March 11 Fukushima, who questioned the safety of nuclear power in the world, Areva intends to secure its investments by standing as a major player in offshore wind Thus, the group NUCLEAR he announced Wednesday morning that it has signed a strategic partnership with Iberdrola Renewables, a subsidiary of Spanish giant Iberdrola and world leader in offshore wind to meet the tender just launched by the French government. The project, detailed by Nicolas Sarkozy last January after being repeatedly postponed, for the first phase is to establish 600 wind turbines with an installed capacity of 3,000 megawatts (MW) in France. In 2020, Nicolas Sarkozy has described the goal of 6000 MW of offshore wind, or 1200 units to be built.The specifications of the tender will be published in July, two months behind schedule.

"Areva and Iberdrola are two major areas of the five selected for the first phase of the tender," said the French group said in a statement, without giving further details. The five development zones are located on the Atlantic coast and the Channel, between Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique) and Tréport (Seine-Maritime) easy pay day loans. According to the newspaper Les Echos, the areas of Saint-Brieuc and Saint-Nazaire are cited, and the two companies together produce between 500 and 750 MW of capacity. In addition, a construction group should join them "very soon".If the alliance was successful, Iberdrola Renewables will develop the project as it does in Germany or the United Kingdom while Areva exclusively manufacture and supply of wind turbines of 5 MW.

Recently, GDF-Suez and Vinci jointly responded to the tender which is a whole of 10 billion euros for zones of Dieppe-Tréport, Fecamp (both in Seine-Maritime) and Courseulles -sur-Mer (Calvados). While at the beginning of the year, Alstom and EDF Energies Nouvelles announced together to meet all of the tender.

This announcement could be the last made under the direction of Anne Lauvergeon whose term expires June 30 Luc Oursel then take the head of the Executive tomorrow, Thursday.

ALSO READ:

"China is now the world's first wind power

"Sarkozy launches offshore wind in France

"Lauvergeon receive 1.82 million euros in compensation

Jun 28




Renault is working to revive its sales in Europe in 2012. The automaker, whose image was tarnished by the case of false intelligence to launch a "flurry" of new products next year on the old continent, said La Tribune.

Starting with the renovation of smaller models. The group of diamond brand and will revamp its Twingo "with a front face far more original," says the group business daily. No time to breathe, the group will then present its model for electric car Zoe in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show prior to the market at a price of 15,000 euros from August 2012.

Then, the Clio IV will land on the market. The aim is to produce 450,000 Clio IV year, said La Tribune bad credit pay day loans. The vehicle will be produced in Bursa in Turkey but also Flins, near Paris. The new Clio will replace the previous ones.

New Dacia

On the Dacia brand, the group plans to launch a "compact van." Then the manufacturer will present models of renewed Logan and Sandero. These vehicles will be sold under the Renault brand outside Europe and Africa.

In the longer term, in 2014, new small city car produced in conjunction with Smart (Daimler) will emerge. Twingo a third version, and a smart four-seater will be produced on a single platform based in Slovenia. The year 2014 should be the revival of high-end vehicles.

Jun 26




A race against time. On Monday, the French stage will present at the National Rugby Marcoussis, before the DNACG (National Directorate of assistance and management control) financial guarantees as to the survival of the Parisian club, after the fraud case linked Facem the Canadian Foundation (Foundation for the Improvement of children in the world).

Still two million find

The figure is known, the French stage has a deficit of 6 million euros to be filled Monday. Bernard Laporte would have found new investors. But after the spectacular failure of Facem, the pool of investors formed by the Englishman Richard Pool-Jones, former player for the club, has also been reactivated, with the help of Serge Kampf, CEO of Capgemini and a great patron of rugby French, and former international Jean-Pierre Rives.The DNACG, before which the Parisian club had already presented in May, is now more demanding, it expects 12.6 million euros in guarantees, in the amount that would normally Facem injected. The round of Pool-Jones would have raised 8 million – the amount initially met – and another 2 million could be saved by reviewing the operating mode of the Parisian club. Remains yet to find 2 million euros to avoid the gauntlet of the "financial policeman" of French rugby. The question is which of the two solutions will be chosen.

A bloated workforce that will have to degrease

Ironically, the missing 2 million in the plane of Pool-Jones correspond to expenses incurred in recruiting high-end by the French stage version which had Laporte on 20 million euros pledged by the Facem but are never arrived.

A total of 19 players have committed to the Paris Club, including the Argentine Felipe Contepomi, New Zealand's Byron Kelleher and Paul Sackey English no fax cash loans. The wage bill had increased to 8 million euros. Another nod, the signature of South Africans Mostert and Van Zyl was announced just minutes before the revelation of the scam. Tuesday afternoon, already aware of the shock, the agents were in turmoil, many trying to resettle their foals outside the capital. Obvious: we'll have to degrease the mammoth. Pascal Pape and David Attoub could rebound in Lyon, recently promoted to Top 14. Bastareaud, who wishes to engage with Toulon but is retained by Bernard Laporte, will get the proper output in the coming days. Mourad Boudjellal, the president of RCT, intention, however, take advantage of the situation. "The first thing that the French stage recovers.I prefer to renegotiate with Max Guazzini and Bernard Laporte in top form in this situation. I really do not want to take advantage, "he said Friday in Var Matin.

Laporte, a return that is like a slap in the face

It would revive the French stage, it could remain who precipitated his fall. Without money from the Facem (three related to this foundation have since been placed in custody), there is nothing. Former Secretary of State for Sport has played with fire. He has left € 170,000 under the guarantees. Salagoïty Francis, former president of the Bayonne where "Bernie" was a brief passage, drives the point home in South West: "Everyone will understand that my apprehensions were based on Bernard Laporte." The only way to bounce back is that the new rescue plan is adopted.In either case, it is rumored that Serge Kampf would not want to hear about it …

Jun 18




"To show a spirit of responsibility and sense of compromise." Nicolas Sarkozy has launched Thursday a solemn appeal to Europeans to save Greece. Whereas this morning in Berlin, the French president knows that he will deploy a wealth of imagination and persuasion to move Angela Merkel. While Athens, plunged into a financial and political crisis, is on the verge of bankruptcy, the Chancellor is considering a new excess wait. Faced with a sling in his majority, Merkel angers its European partners by raising the pressure: it insists on any new financial aid package Greek participation of private creditors to let them share the burden of German taxpayers.

Berlin's position, however, has eased somewhat in recent hours.The German government, which faces an end of inadmissibility of the European Central Bank (ECB), now would require a report in September of decision on an extension to Greece, initially expected at the European Council next week . Play for time when it is urgent to try to influence the debate: Berlin had already used this tactic in the first act of the Greek crisis, in May 2010, reluctant to put their hands in the pocket for Athens.

Participation binding

The Europeans have accepted half that request. The Commissioner of Economic Affairs, Olli Rehn, said that measures should ultimately be decided at the Eurogroup of 11 July. In the meantime, to ease the burden a little Athens, Europe could decide to release the funds promised for July."I am confident that next Sunday the finance ministers of the euro area will meet in Luxembourg will decide on the payment of the fifth tranche of loans to Greece," said Olli Rehn. This band represents just under 8 billion that would normally add 3.7 billion paid by the IMF. The fund has remained vague about his intentions, while suggesting a hint that it will participate in this effort absolutely free credit score. "We are ready to continue to support Greece if the Greek authorities take the economic measures promised," said his spokesman, in Washington.

Save time is to enable Europeans to reach a compromise on how to involve private creditors in aid to Greece. Paris insists that nothing be done that goes against the opinion of the ECB, which guarantees the stability of the euro.But in Berlin, the German government does not hide his irritation with respect to the ECB, which usually defends tooth and nail independence. The European monetary institution insists that the private creditors of Greece are known as a "voluntary basis" to grant a stay in a country where the rating agencies expect the bankruptcy. It is far from enough in the eyes of members of the center-right coalition of Merkel, where such participation must be mandatory. To ensure the support of the Bundestag increasingly looking to the funds of Germany, the federal government requests that all creditors are asked to exchange their shares against the Greek bonds at longer maturities.For the ECB, such an exchange would mean forced to recognize that Athens is in default.

Italy's Mario Draghi, who will fall over from Jean-Claude Trichet, head of the ECB, had his baptism of fire on Thursday night in Berlin, during a meeting with the Chancellor in which he was trying to find a solution to the dilemma German. For the Chancellor, it was however only a first round: she will spend three hours today with Nicolas Sarkozy to find a compromise.

ALSO READ:

"Europe is powerless to stop the chaos Greek

"In Athens," we have nothing to lose "

Jun 1




The dominant expectations Wall Street on Wednesday. The Dow Jones lost 0.35% to 12,525.82 points, the Nasdaq yield 0.20% to 2829.60 points and the S & P 500 was down 0.29% to 1341.32 points.

Tuesday, as all global markets, the U.S. stock market had closed on a sharp rise, the Dow Jones climbed 1.03% and the Nasdaq by 1.37%. Investors, who were returning from a long weekend, had welcomed with relief the press releases stating that Germany would give up a debt restructuring of Greece.

On Wednesday, the new no longer effect. As in Europe and Asia, caution is back on the market, supported by a series of disappointing indicators from China and the euro area. China's PMI purchasing managers of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) fell to 52 last month, against 52.9 in April.In the euro area, this indicator stood at 54.6 in May, after a flash estimate of 54.8, against 58 in April. Is the lowest since October.

United States, the employment figures in the private sector show an increase of only 38,000 in May, according to the firm ADP, while analysts were betting on 170,000 net hires.

Investors across the Atlantic will also learn construction costs.

Side currency, the euro rose slightly against the U.S. dollar at 1.4421 dollars (+0.18%) in the early afternoon in Paris.For its part, oil recedes, a barrel of light sweet crude for July delivery yielding 0.53% to 102.16 dollars short term personal loans.

Yahoo!: -1.39% to 16.32 dollars

Yahoo has resolved its dispute with Alibaba Group in connection with the transfer by the Chinese company's online payment system, Alipay, its chief executive Jack Ma said on source familiar with the matter. The two companies reached an agreement before the meeting with analysts from Yahoo last Wednesday. But the agreement requires the green light from the founder of Softbank, Masayoshi Son, who sits on the board of directors of Alibaba. He was quite reluctant, says one. Japanese Softbank is a shareholder of Alibaba and Yahoo Japan.

Google: 0.46% to 531.44 dollars

Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman and former CEO of Google, said Tuesday night had "planted" on social networks four years ago.He takes the responsibility for the error that allowed Facebook to be the undisputed leader in the category.

Phillips-Van Heusen: 1.39% to 66.89 dollars

Phillips-Van Heusen for its part, announced a net profit of $ 58 million (79 cents per share) in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, against $ 28 million loss (53 cents per share) a year before. The turnover was doubled to 1.37 billion against $ 619 million a year earlier. The group is therefore the goal of annual earnings per share to range between 4.80 and $ 5 per title.

Dollar General: -8.58% to 32.06 dollars

Still on publications, Dollar General will issue its first quarter revenues.

May 31




The 55 new trains duplex 3G will go quietly into the fleet of the station which already has 488. Outwardly, nothing distinguishes them from their elders also manufactured by Alstom and the delivery of which ranged between 2005 and 2011.

Inside, very slight innovations have been introduced: two screens are placed in each car to provide practical information (time, stations traveled, speed of the train …). The aisle is wider for the movement of disabled people. Seat reservations are displayed on small digital displays. Surprisingly, the SNCF seeks to preserve the same framework to avoid disturbing passengers … But according to the technicians of the station, trains are quieter and less pitching than older ones.They are also equipped with pre-wiring that will install a video system protection.

Yet, the president of the SNCF did not hesitate on Monday at a ceremony to talk about a new "weapon of European conquest." It is true that the Euro Duplex – it's his nickname – is the only way to travel in Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain through its signaling system that will work on different networks and thanks to its compatibility with electrical equipment.

The new TGV will run on the network Rhine Rhone which the Strasbourg-Lyon is inaugurated in December. They also conduct trips between Marseilles and Frankfurt. Gradually, as they are delivered (9 in 2011, 15 in 2012, 11 in 2013, both in 2014 and 7 in 2015), the TGV also serve Spain."We currently have nearly 50% share of European market for high speed, said Guillaume Pepy, SNCF's boss. Today, the challenge is to keep them. "

The overall cost of this order placed in 2007 amounted to 1.6 billion euros, or about 28 million per train. Something to keep Alstom workshops while a European social movement was launched Monday in the various European sites of the Alstom Group. Germany, Spain and Italy are particularly affected by a plan to eliminate positions from 1300 to 1400 in the transportation division.

May 21




Greece must provide more work and results, said the French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who put pressure on Athens in an interview with Austrian daily Der Standard to be released this Saturday.

"Greece must deliver results and why the country must do more than during the last twelve months," said Christine Lagarde, whose name is mentioned as a successor to Dominique Strauss-Kahn to head the IMF.

Asked about her refusal of any debt restructuring, Christine Lagarde said: "We already gave Athens more time to repay its loans in the euro area is already a concession." He continued: "It is legitimate that we expected that Greece will make its share of work."

"We do not want a state of bankruptcy"

The French Minister of Economy recognizes that the Greek government has done things, "but there are still areas where things are moving too slowly", referring to privatizations. "Either Greece delivers results, then we can imagine additional help.Otherwise there is the question of how Greece is ready to play the game for its own bailout, "said ministre.Et further emphasized:" What we certainly do not want, c 'is a state of bankruptcy, a default in Europe ..

While the Greek Government discusses the rise in unemployment generated by the austerity plan, the minister reminded the unemployment rate in Spain, according to her superior to that of Greece, but where "the country still does its job, saved and managed to turn around. "

Challenge to implement a program

The rating agency Fitch, meanwhile, lowered on Friday noted the long-term debt of Greece to three notches. This is a new blow to Athens which also saw its borrowing costs on market reached a new record.Fitch lowered the rating of BB + Greek + to B, referring to the "challenge" for Greece that is the "implementation of a program of structural reform and radical tax necessary to ensure the solvency of the state and the foundations of sustained economic recovery "in the country.

"New fiscal austerity measures are necessary" to achieve that Greece's budget deficit target of 7.5% of GDP in 2011, said Fitch. The agency suggests including poor tax revenues and difficulties in implementing a privatization program.

Greece also saw its cost of borrowing on the markets at a record Friday, the rate of its ten-year bonds exceeding 16.7%. Sign that investors fear that Greece is not able to honor its debts.

The Greek prime minister said his country would repay its entire debt."We will refund the loans," said George Papandreou, whose country was granted last year a plan to help the EU and the IMF amounting to 110 billion euros to avoid it default.

But many observers believe that Greece will avoid a major restructuring of its debt, meaning pay creditors later or less than expected. But the European Central Bank precludes this scenario.

In the wake of Fitch, another rating agency S & P has for its part lowered by one notch the rating of the long-term debt of the Crédit Agricole to 'A +' cons 'AA-' before, because of its exposure Greece."We believe that the French banking group Credit Agricole is particularly prone in Greece, because of the issue of solvency and the economic outlook" of the country, particularly through its subsidiary Emporiki, S & P said in a statement.

(With Agencies)

May 11




Cap the accumulated social minimum, establish hours of general utility to the beneficiaries of RSA, increase eligibility for foreigners … the proposals of the European Affairs Minister Laurent Wauquiez, stated on Sunday RMC and BFM TV, raised an outcry among the left and associations.

How does the RSA?

Created in 2009 by Martin Hirsch, then High Commissioner for Active Solidarity, the Revenu de solidarité active (RSA) is divided between an amount of "base" (466.99 euros this year), paid to a person who does not work and the "RSA activity" that complements a low wage. Its amount decreases gradually as the wage increases.

A recipient of the RSA is required to follow the actions of insertion and can not refuse more than two reasonable offers of employment as defined in the custom project.In 2010, 1.8 million people have benefited from the RSA.

What is the maximum amount currently received by a beneficiary?

There is no ceiling to the total tested benefits enshrined in law. But in fact, adding the main aid, some stand out maximum amounts. Thus, by combining the RSA and housing assistance (which varies depending on the rent and the circumstances of the person and can reach 298 euros per month), a single person without children can receive up to 709 euros per month. A couple whose members are inactive can, in turn, affect up to 945 euros per month. This is indeed a sum greater than 75% of net monthly minimum wage (804 euros), which is the maximum threshold of accumulated social minima proposed by Laurent Wauquiez.

But the people receiving the minimum wage have also, entitled to aid, such as housing allowance and a bonus for the job.A couple where one spouse earns the minimum wage can have an income of up to 1400 euros. Is a notable difference from a couple idle up to around 450 euros.

For pensioners, the situation is different: "It is possible that the minimum pension recipients who receive housing assistance affect maximum the same as a couple where one spouse works, says William Allegre, an economist at the OFCE specializes in social policy. At age 65, the problem of work incentives do not arise. The objective is to ensure that society older standard of living above poverty line ".

For these benefits, there are the "rights", very difficult to estimate, which are voluntary aid paid by local authorities.They cover areas as diverse as school meals, transport and access to sports facilities such as swimming.

Where is France?

For fifty years, the share of social benefits in French disposable income has jumped from 16.3% in 1960 to 30.8% in 2009, according to figures from INSEE. However, France is today the average of OECD countries: the main social assistance account for 59% of average earnings. By comparison, they reach 104% in Denmark, 84% Japan 83% in Ireland, Sweden 81% or 63% in Germany.

What would be the consequence of a ceiling on minimum social benefits?

The Minister of European Affairs would "cap the aggregate of all the social minimum to 75% of minimum wage, no more." "Talking cap is like trying to reduce aid," said Guillaume Allègre.But with a current unemployment rate to 9% this financial incentive would be ineffective, according to the Economist: "It would only ensure that the poor are poorer."

View shared by Christopher Noel, a lawyer specializing in labor law: "We know that in most cases, the problem is not economic but personal criteria: they are, for example, women with three or four children, of disabled or people with illnesses. A cap will change nothing but stigmatize the problem part of the population. "

Establish hours of general utility is it realistic?

In consideration of the RSA, Laurent Wauquiez proposes to introduce five hours weekly of general utility. "This is a proposal that raised more questions than it answers, answers Guillaume Allègre. It should create public jobs to oversee this work.In addition, follow a million people could create many administrative problems. " For the economist, between transport costs, any meal vouchers, travel difficulties for people with health problems and management costs, the proposal could be more costly than what it reported.

Master Christopher Noel also fears that the measure is ineffective: a mother or a person with a health problem will always be so difficult to get to work. "If people refuse, is that they remove their social minimum? In this case, is what it will create another minimum, even lower? Guillaume Allègre also questioned.Finally, what activities will be considered public utilities? And why not create public jobs for them? "

Finally, the proposal is largely "symbolic," concludes Guillaume Allegre: "Making lives more difficult for economically inactive people who work are more satisfied."

ALSO READ:

"RSA offended the left, the UMP supports Wauquiez

"RSA: Wauquiez wants a return

« Previous Entries Next Entries »