Sundial of world news

By putting on Thursday Ermine first President of the Court of Auditors, Didier Migaud definitively stored his old political habits. Former socialist president of the Finance Committee of the Assembly, appointed under the opening by Nicolas Sarkozy to succeed Philippe Séguin, who died suddenly last January, does not distract the institution's objectives: "The fundamental role of the Court" is to "give citizens the information they are entitled (…). Needless to seek an indescribable sense of power-cons, "he said Thursday on the occasion of his installation, in the presence of head of state, presidents of the Senate and the Assembly and Ministers Budget and Justice."The Court and the financial courts are not judges of the desirability of public policies: they have to assess how and to assess the results."

Take height and work in a bipartisan … This is not an empty word for close to Laurent Fabius – who was one of the first to congratulate him on Thursday after his swearing. Didier Migaud notably drafted with Senator UMP Alain Lambert organic law on finance laws (LOLF) rule that since 2006 the annual budget presentation to the State. But he also participated in the commission Pébereau debt. The chairman of BNP Paribas has always praised the sense of responsibility of the member of the Isere, which had agreed to sign a report calling for deep cuts in public spending, despite pressure from his political camp cash advance america . His case is not isolated as 52 000 hectares of land have been invaded by salt water after the passage of Xynthia. "It will take years and years for desalination," said the farmer. Bruno Mayor announced a plan to tens of millions of euros to farmers (see box below)."I shall return in a few weeks to see how its implementation takes place," he said.

A plan dedicated to farmers

A budget of several million euros to farmers. This was announced on Wednesday the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, the operators hit this weekend by storm Xynthia. In detail, two types of aid are considered. Firstly, a reduced specific financial burdens and also social. The state with the Agricultural Social Insurance Agency has raised 5 million euros for the first strand.

Then, after a case-by-case damage caused by Xynthia field, another package will be released under the National Guarantee Fund for Agricultural Disasters (FNGCA)."Given an initial estimate and according to recent experiments, this should be in the tens of millions of euros," said one familiar with the matter. The new aid will complement those of the plan emergency support and to the extent permitted by Brussels (De minimis 15 000 per farm). For their part farmers have asked for clemency for the administration, for example, identification of dead animals or statements in order to benefit from the CAP.

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"A range of measures to help flood victims

A territorial policy of social housing, that is to say building in priority areas in deficit, such is the ambition on Wednesday by Secretary of State for Housing. Two days after the publication of an alarming report of the Fondation Abbé Pierre on poor housing, Benoist Appearing presented the draft state for 2010, namely to contribute up to 4.7 billion euros to finance 140,000 housing, half in Ile-de-France, Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the zones "tense". The program is ambitious, even by the balance of 2009 when 120,000 housing units were built "three times more than in 2000, the ministry said.

4 billion tax form

But if the Social Union for Housing which manages public housing can not approve a policy that it "calls for two years, is on the question of financing the rub.The state budget provides for the payment of 624 million euros to public housing agencies as aid to the stone. The rest of the state aid-more than 4 billion-will take the form of tax incentives (VAT, property tax, preferential interest rates). "The $ 624 million is less than 660 million euros achieved in 2009, and far from the 800 million budgeted in 2008," laments Pierre Quercy, general delegate of the Social Union for Housing which manages public housing best payday advance . "We're going to build a priority in areas of shortage, and therefore more expensive, but with less money," says the delegate general who believes a more realistic assessment of the number of homes built to last 100,000.

At the Department, any accusation of declining level of aid is denied."The effort of the State is not limited to 624 million euros of aid to the stone, take into account the full support of 4.7 billion euros, which will build 140,000 homes social, said the firm Benoist Appeared. Construction or purchase. As announced Tuesday the secretary of state, public housing agencies will be able to acquire any vacant units to turn them into housing. Another idea supported by the Social Union for Housing, but according to Pierre Quercy will face the same problems of funding. "We estimate that 350 million euros of state aid would be needed to buy 10,000 housing units in the tense areas," said the delegate general. What largely begin the budget.

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A French six badly-housed would

"The HLM would buy empty housing

This time it's official: the Dutch Spyker has concluded an agreement with U.S. giant General Motors (GM) to her resume its Swedish subsidiary Saab.

Until this agreement, the case n Saab has stopped bouncing. While the U.S. giant General Motors said in December that it simply shut its Swedish subsidiary Saab lack of buyer, the Dutch Spyker Cars was returned to office with an offer the last chance. Rumors surrounding the conclusion of this agreement have been numerous throughout the day. Spyker very careful not wanting to comment on reports that circulated in financial markets.

Spyker Trading suspended

Despite this caution, speculation quickly swelled Tuesday.So much so that the Netherlands Authority for Financial Markets (AFM) has decided to suspend trading in the Spyker action on the exchanges of Amsterdam at 12:45 GMT and that "until further notice" creditreport . The title of the Dutch manufacturer had gained 2.8%, to 3.90 euros before the intervention of the regulator. The AFM said it was awaiting the publication of a statement by Spyker, to clarify the situation.

Spyker is the only candidate for the acquisition of Saab. The group would put 400 million dollars on the table in cash (74 million) and shares (326 million) of the new company that emerged from the sale, according to sources familiar with the matter. Take it or leave it. Leaders from General Motors and Spyker met last Friday in Stockholm to address the remaining points of detail, reports U.S. magazine BusinessWeek.In particular, future production plans for this "new Saab.

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Patrick Devedjian, Minister of Recovery, Luc Chatel, a spokesman of the government, Eric Woerth, budget minister, Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economy, have multiplied statements Wednesday to defend the annual remuneration of Henri Proglio, chairman of 'EDF and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Veolia. On Thursday morning, Christian Estrosi has added a layer. On RTL, he said: "Christine Lagarde gave a notice is so that the government", adding: "Christine Lagarde, on behalf of the government changed its mind."

The opposition and some elected right triggered a controversy. They accuse Henri Proglio receiving dual compensation amounting in total to 2.05 million. The latter receives 450 000 EUR at Veolia. It affects one million euros plus a variable up to 60% of his salary fixed at EDF. 1.6 million.This figure was confirmed by the Ministry of Economy. The Board of Directors of EDF must treat this matter on Thursday.

Aurelie Filippetti, PS national secretary for energy, has denounced the "indecent compensation" pay day loans . The President of the modem, François Bayrou, has raised an "affront to the principles of our Republic". In November, Christine Lagarde had said before the Senate Henri Proglio not touch two salaries. The UMP MP Valérie Rosso-Debord, close to François Fillon, acted "very shocked" by this combination. Asked in the National Assembly by the Socialist deputy Christian Eckert, Christine Lagarde said in the heckling of opposition. "The president of EDF is not paid more than when he was boss of Veolia.He must face reality: there is a market, competitors, a world that has changed, "said the minister, who recalled that" the conditions in which Henri Proglio has agreed to join the group EDF were twofold: to retain non-operational role at Veolia and devote his full time to EDF.

According to the firm Proxinvest in 2008, an Executive Chairman of the CAC 40 gained 3.6 million euros. A non-executive chairman who presides over a board, 864 225 euros.

Coup de théâtre to the Constitutional Council. Tuesday night is no less a pillar of the 2010 budget that the Sages retoque in deciding to cancel the carbon tax in its entirety. In their decision, the constitutional judges – seized last week by the Parliamentary Socialists – have ruled that the law created too many exemptions, which is "contrary to the objective of fighting against global warming" and creates an inequality in tax."Less than half the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions would have been subject to contributions to carbon, because many of these exemptions, they argued.

In detail, the Constitutional Council has stressed that "were totally exempt contribution of carbon emissions from power plants generating electricity, emissions from industrial sites in 1018 the most polluting (refineries, cement, coke …) "emissions from aviation" or "those of the public transport of passengers by road. "These exemptions have led to only 93% of emissions from industrial sources, excluding fuel, are exempt from carbon contribution," according to the text.The tax would have "focused on fuel and heating products that are only one source of emission of carbon dioxide.

An alternative is proposed by Fillon January 20

Shortly after the publication of the decision of the Elders, Matignon has announced that Francois Fillon presented January 20 in Council of Ministers a new scheme taking "full account of the observations of the Constitutional Council. The prime minister maintains, however, that this contribution is needed to guide the behavior of firms and households in terms of energy consumption and reduce emissions of greenhouse gas emissions. "The cabinet of Jean-Louis Borloo for its part indicated that the Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development Wednesday react to this defeat.

For its part, the Socialist Party – through its National Secretary for the Environment, Laurence Rossignol – did not expect to qualify the decision of the constitutional judges of "heavy defeat for the president. It is both the sanction of a working method that is to do everything in a hurry and a series of announcement effects. For the federation France Nature Environment (FNE), a cancellation is "catastrophic." "The carbon tax is clearly in agony.Copenhagen has shown that political will was not enough in the fight against climate change and today is the leverage that tax is lowered, "lamented spokesman FNE, Arnaud Gosse.

A measure dear to the Head of State

Wanted by Nicolas Sarkozy, the tax, renamed "carbon contribution" by the Senate, was a key measure of the proposed 2010 budget. In total, it would have resulted in 4.1 billion euros in tax revenue next year, including 2.2 billion paid by households. The Head of State himself had described as a "revolutionary tax" and a "major shift" to "lasting change" behavior of the French. The tax was aimed at encouraging individuals to reduce their CO2 emissions by applying the energy consumption of households and businesses, with compensation to individuals.For businesses, the carbon tax would replace the business tax, which was abandoned, however, been validated by the Constitutional Council.

According to calculations by INSEE, the entry into force – scheduled for 1 January – would be to effect a general price increase of 0.3% in first quarter 2010, an increase of about 4 cents per liter gasoline pump. Set at 17 euros per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2), but she had raised important challenges left, but right where some denounced the introduction of a new tax.

ALSO READ "SPECIAL – The carbon tax" Two thirds of the French reject the carbon tax

After Fitch and Standard & Poor's, Moody's has in turn lowered the debt rating of Greece on Tuesday. The bonds are so degraded by one notch from A2 to A1 with negative outlook.

"The repositioning of Greece at A2 level reflects both the very limited risk of a liquidity crisis in the short term and other credit risk in the medium and long term," Moody's justified. Indeed, "risk long term has been partially offset by the government's announcement" last week on the austerity budget.

Reviews of Moody's moderates have tended to reassure markets that apparently he had built a stronger degradation of the Greek notes. The Athens Stock Exchange returning 2.96% in early morning.The interest rate on bonds over 10 years of Greek Treasury bills were even lower, at 5.734% against 5.955%.

Following the announcement by Moody's notes on the Greek, Tuesday morning, the euro hovered around $ 1.43. "The euro is being undermined by the widening spreads (difference between interest rates, Ed) on yields of government bonds in the euro area," observed Friday in a note economists at BNP Paribas.

The difference between the interest rate applied to Greek government bonds to ten years and the German Bund, benchmark euro area widened to 250 basis points, or 2.5 percentage points, recent weeks.

Plan rigor

The Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, presented last week a fiscal austerity plan to leave public finances slump. The stated objective is to reduce the deficit to 4%.Greece is facing a deficit estimated for 2009 to 12.7% and a debt that represents 113% of GDP.

Moody's remains reserved about the effects of the government plan. "The long term rating of Greece will depend on how the public will accept these measures and the government's ability to implement them vigorously," the agency analysis. However, "neither of these points can not be taken for granted."

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"The euro suffered the misfortunes of Greece

The shock wave propagated at the speed of lightning Thursday in the Gulf as the rest of the world. The near collapse of the emirate of Dubai, obliged to ask its creditors for a moratorium of six months for two of its major companies, Dubai World and Nakheel, unable to repay the 59 billion they have borrowed, shook all financial markets.

Asian stock markets continued their decline Friday. Tokyo has fallen by more than 3.0% in closing, while Hong Kong fell by 3.45% in mid-session. Shanghai posted a decline of 1.05% in mid-session. Seoul ended a slump of 4.69%."The last thing you would see is a domino effect, alarmed investment bank EFG-Hermes, which fears the deferred payment of debts of other firms, notably in emerging countries.

Not surprisingly, the rating agencies Moody's and Standard & Poor's has downgraded six of the largest groups of Dubai, including DP World, a subsidiary of Dubai World, the company's water and electricity, and the giant of the Real Estate Emaar Properties. "Although Nakheel is not rated by Moody's, this is an important precedent for a leading company facing difficulties to pay its debts and relying on government for support, accuses the agency.

Snowball effect

The risk of a snowball effect is real.Dubai, which has more particularly on its neighbor Abu Dhabi to come to his aid, can undermine the confidence of investors in the Gulf. Investors including many Westerners are. Among the creditors of Dubai World, one finds the British banks Barclays, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, but BNP Paribas and Credit Suisse. According to the latter, the exposure of European banks, however, does not exceed 13 billion euros.

In 2008, the emirate has attracted to itself for 21 billion dollars of foreign investment. Today, these investors may be concerned not only the financial health of Dubai, but also the countries of the Federation of UAE and the entire region.

For its part, Dubai, symbol of easy money, won, lack of oil, the real estate and finance, has a huge portfolio of foreign assets.It is the largest foreign investor in Tunisia and has launched many projects in the Maghreb, although some of them have been frozen because of the crisis.

He is a shareholder in several large companies in Asia, including Sony, the United States and Russia, where he acquired a leading electricians. It also has holdings in Europe, particularly in EADS. If decided, as feared, some investors to sell off its pay its debts, the consequences could be catastrophic for the financial market confidence. And they are equally if Abu Dhabi was to withdraw from Daimler, which owns 9% to help. Closed Thursday, Wall Street will give his ruling on Friday.

"The emirate of Dubai on the brink of bankruptcy

The government wants to encourage companies to early negotiations on stress at work. Introducing an emergency plan after the highly anticipated series of suicides among France Telecom, Xavier Darcos acknowledged that governments had "underestimated" the issue and requested that "each company will grasp the subject." According to a poll released this week, 66% of French assets say they feel more stress in their profession.

Specifically, the Minister of Labor hopes that discussions begin before February 2010 in the 2,500 companies with more than 1,000 employees. He also expects that "either declined the inter-national agreement, signed in late 2008, which aims to" increase awareness and understanding of workplace stress, employers, employees and their representatives. "An initial assessment will be completed in February 2010, said Xavier Darcos to the sides, meeting within the Council guidance on working conditions (COGT).

Denunciations Internet

Even if "nothing is excluded, the appeal of the Minister of Labor is however subject to any affirmative duty, regretted the unions. "The first penalty is transparency," said Xavier Darcos justified. "We publish on the Internet list of companies that have negotiated those who did not negotiate, if any, but I would not recommend, and the results of these negotiations and good practices" to implement, he said."Given the pressure of public opinion, transparency is a very good solution," he still tried.

The government has not provided real steps beyond the business of more than 1,000 employees, hoping that their actions will serve as a model for others. Xavier Darcos however called for "shares information on the psycho-social risks" within the SME and SOHO. "For companies engaged in a process of restructuring, the ministry requires however taking into account psycho-social risks. And a monitoring unit will be established to "coordinate" and "impulsive" actions to prevent stress at work.

These different elements will be incorporated under the Occupational Health Plan to be developed "by the end of 2009."

The government is preparing to take action against doctors displaying excess fees excessive. According to the Tribune, which learned of a draft decree, the Ministry of Health plans to strengthen sanctions. This decree law enforcement Hospital, patients, health plans and territories that doctors may repeat the overrun will lose their right to practice these overruns for a maximum of five years, by decision of the directors of health insurance . They will also no longer benefit from the participation of health insurance to finance their social security contributions.

The decree said that physicians in fee-free areas 2 (*) when developing their passing rates must respect the concept of "tact and moderation."This principle takes into account the patient's financial situation, the reputation of the specialist, the complexity and duration of medical procedure, the service rendered to the insured, and the average amount and the proportion of exceedances What colleagues introduced the physician in the same territory. Failure to respect this concept of "tact and moderation," the penalty will rise to between 100 doctors and 200% of excess charged.

The decree issued by the end of the year

If they are convinced of discrimination in access to care, the penalty is twice the maximum monthly Social Security or 5718 euros.For doctors who have not sent their patients written information prerequisite to the cost and terms of repayment of certain acts, it will cost a maximum of 100% of the excess charged for the act not informed.

A source at the Ministry of Health confirmed that a decree was being prepared. He could be released by the end of the year, but its content should still be subject to consultation. The framework for higher fees is the subject for several years of painstaking negotiations between health insurance, supplemental health and unions of physicians.

Unions and health insurance have scheduled a meeting Thursday to reach agreement before the deadline.MPs set them under the law Bachelot, adopted earlier this summer, a deadline of October 15, after which the government could decide only coaching overruns.

(*) The excess fees authorized for physicians called in "Area 2" means amounts above the rates for Social Security, which are based on reimbursements for patients.

"Overtaking fee: regional inequalities surprising