Archive for the ‘top news’ Category

The Greeks in the street, an emergency meeting of EU

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Against "unfair and ineffective sacrifices, Greek officials Wednesday manifested in big cities. A 24-hour strike was launched by the Union Public Service ADEDY, with more than 300,000 members. Employees of public protest against wage cuts announced by the Socialist government to reduce deficits and thus reassure the markets. Tuesday, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou reiterated wage austerity measures provided for in the Public Service wage freeze, down 10% premium, 30% decrease in overtime, stoppage of recruitment in 2010, except in the sectors of health, education and security. Labor Minister, Andreas Loverdos, proposed back two years to 2015 the average age of retirement to raise it to 63 years.

In Athens, about 5,000 union members protesting in the rain in the streets, which must be added the separate gathering of 5,000 activists of the union Struggle Front (PAME), an offshoot of the ultra-orthodox communist party (KKE). In Salonika, is counting down nearly 3,000 officers pounding the pavement.

Moreover, tens of thousands of officials have answered the call to strike the ADEDY. Air traffic controllers joined the strike and there was no traffic Wednesday in Greece.

Meeting of Finance Ministers of the euro area

These events occur when the finance ministers of the eurozone plan to meet as Wednesday by teleconference to discuss the situation in Greece, several diplomatic sources.

According to Le Monde, President of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet and the chairman of the Eurogroup forum of finance ministers from the eurozone, Jean-Claude Juncker, will join the discussions.

This meeting will be held on the eve of a summit of EU leaders on the issue in Brussels free credit report . At this stage, there is "not agree" on a plan of aid to Greece. The signs, however, a support mechanism for this country is growing. A senior parliamentary Conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Michael Meister, has indicated that preparations were underway in the German Government for an assistance plan.It could take the form of housing provision of bilateral loans to certain countries of the euro area in favor of Greece, to help cope with higher prices for its cost of borrowing on the markets since the beginning of the crisis.The option of an advance payment of EU subsidies to Greece is also considered.

Papandreou lunch with Nicolas Sarkozy

Prime Minister George Papandreou, who visited on Wednesday in Paris, where he has lunch with French President Nicolas Sarkozy had called in an attempt to limit the impact of the strike, officials to "lead by example" to contribute to the crisis.

Furthermore, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday held a joint press conference after the informal EU summit in Brussels, including the situation in Greece, said Wednesday the spokesman for the French government, Luc Chatel. "Under the EU summit, the president will have the opportunity to hold a joint press conference with Merkel on various subjects.I guess the question (of the situation in Greece) will be addressed, "said Luc Chatel in reporting to the press the work of the council of ministers.

"The French government is involved as its European partners on the situation of the euro and the situation in Greece in particular," he said, adding that the Economy Minister Christine Lagarde had "routine contacts with counterparts "on this issue.

Hartz IV: "Germany must reduce its spending"

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

LE FIGARO. – Ruling of the Court puts it into question the whole system "Hartz IV"?

Niels Diederich. – No. The decision of the Court concerns only the welfare of minors. In the system of "Hartz IV", children whose parents are unemployed or who are raised in single-parent families, indirectly affect the state aid. However, they receive only 70 to 80% of the amount awarded to an adult. In 2005, the legislature had found that children have lower needs than adults and had applied a standard reduction. The judges felt that we can not calculate the social benefits attributed to children on the same basis as for adults. They require the development of a new scale of separate calculation, so that their needs are taken into account.The government will soon review the text to make its corrections.

The competitiveness of German companies is in danger?

Not because this decision they will not carry more loads, it does not hurt German exports. The companies co-finance the system of unemployment insurance by 50%. But it is a separate mechanism. The system "Hartz IV" is funded through taxes. But the state has pledged not to raise taxes. It will therefore reduce expenditure to finance the surcoût.La Court is often accused of conservatism.

That shutdown threat does not modernization of Germany?

Politicians always moan against the Constitutional Court. Created after the Nazi era to serve as a safeguard against the state, it has, indeed, enormous powers. But judges do not prevent the country's modernization.On the contrary. In 1949, when the conservative party (CDU) had held that in cases of dispute over the education of children, the man still had the last word on the woman, the Court ruled that the law contradicted the principle of equality between citizens. Since the 1950s, it required that disputes be settled by a judge, thus laying the foundations of the principle of equality between men and women in the country.

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"Berlin will have to increase its aid to the poorest

The CAC 40 oscillates around equilibrium

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

While the U.S. exchanges fell back into the red Tuesday – the deteriorating trade balance, coupled with poor results from Alcoa weighed on the trend – Asia closed the Wednesday meeting ground largely negative. The stock index in Asia was down 1.85% at 3052.73 points, with a decline in the Nikkei 1.32%, to 10,735.03 points. The announcement yesterday by the Bank of China to raise the reserve requirement ratio to major banks and a rise in interest rates on treasury bills to one year have replenished the prospects for closer Currency in China.

In Europe, it is the hesitation that dominates. Fellowships, yet influenced the decline in the wake of other large places, managed to hang in balance or even exceed it slightly. Around 10:30 am, the CAC 40 is timidly 0.13% at 4005 points, and save the 4,000-point mark.The DAX index of 30 blue chips of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange operates similarly, from 0.13% to 5.950 points.

Macroeconomic side, the consumer prices in France rose slightly in December compared to the previous month (+0.3%) and are up 0.9% year on year, said Wednesday INSEE. In Germany, GDP dropped by 5% in 2009, after +1.3% in 2008.

At noon, the European surveys monitor monthly business survey for December. And at 16:30, the U.S. will unveil its weekly inventory of crude oil. Well after closing at night, the president's speech to the Philadelphia Fed Charles Plosser, the U.S. economic outlook will be closely followed.

Societe Generale launched a "profit warning"

On the values front, the news this early morning is the profit warning from Societe Generale.The bank said today that it expected record results "slightly" profit in the fourth quarter of 2009, below market expectations, due to the recording in the accounts of a negative impact of 1.4 billion ' euro-related assets at risk. The titles fall of 4.84%, to 49.17 euros, showing the worst performance of the ACC. In this wake, the banks are struggling. Credit Agricole (-2.28%), Dexia (-2.05%) and BNP Paribas (-1.78%) are in the end list.

Renault (+0.25%) continues to rattle the government. The state also largest shareholder, was summoned to renounce a possible relocation of the production of the Clio in Turkey raises numerous critics. Today, a meeting between Minister of Industry, Christian Estrosi, and the CEO of Renault, Patrick Pelata, is provided.The manufacturer has provided reassurance in a statement that no "decision had been taken at this stage."

Topping the charts of ACC 40, Figure Carrefour (1.54%). HSBC has initiated coverage of the title with a neutral recommendation and a target price of 37 euros. After L'Oreal (+1.42%), Pernod Ricard (+1.06%) and Danone (1%).

In contrast, Saint-Gobain fell by nearly 1.2% after seeing lowered its recommendation to "neutral" by analysts at Credit Suisse, cons "outperform" before. Schneider Electric lost 0.6%, UBS changed from "buy" cons "neutral."

On the DRS, Thales (+1.3%) is doing well.

Xiring (+9.15%) announced yesterday after market sales for the fourth quarter 2009 from 9.3 million euros, unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2008.Esker (-3.2%) for the same period, revealed an activity of 5.9 million euros (+5%).

Cellectis (+2.71%) announced the signing of a licensing agreement with Bayer HealthCare, the healthcare division of the international group Bayer.

Sarkozy: "I believe in voluntarism"

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

In 2009, France "has avoided the worst," said President Nicolas Sarkozy during the presentation of his wishes to the economic forces at Cholet, on Wednesday. The Head of State recalled that "a year ago, we were among the worst crisis since the 30s.

If "we have avoided the worst, because we made the right decisions despite the controversy," he claimed. "For six months, growth has returned."

These decisions were taken because "I believe in volunteerism, has hammered the head of state. We must "regulate capitalism to create the right conditions for our prosperity," he said, praising "dialogue and reconciliation."

"No French has seen its savings challenged. No financial institution has gone bankrupt, "he said. "I made a commitment: that the support plan for banks will not cost anything to the French."Better still, the plan "has reported 2 billion euros to the French government by interest" donated by the aided institutions.

Nicolas Sarkozy also attacked the "Malthusian" raging in France, "idea that we could reduce unemployment by sharing work", a reference to 35 hours. He also taunted "the illusion that the decline would be the only solution to preserve the environment."

More to come …

Tower Records in Dubai against crisis

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

Proponents maintain flirtation with the mystery on its exact size, but with over 800 meters high, the Burj Dubai will have no trouble to climb to the summit since it exceeds by at least 300 meters above the current building in the world, Taipei 101 Taiwan (508 meters). The question is whether this will be the last great Pharaonic site long before the emirate in the Middle East crisis.

The story goes that the emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum, had returned to its initial project promoters with poor 90 floors. "We thought little of beating the record held by the Taipei 101 tower. But the client asked us each to go higher, but we set limits, "says architect Bill Baker, the firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago, developer of the skyscraper.

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GDF Suez enlist with the State

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Never change a winning team. GDF Suez announced Tuesday in a statement that the public contract that binds the group to the state for 2010-2013 was signed December 23. The formalization of this announcement comes a week after the Official Journal published a decree defining new rules for setting regulated prices for natural gas. "This agreement also strengthens and clarifies the conditions of tariff changes through a transparent, automatic and taking into account all costs of the company," said Gérard Mestrallet, CEO of GDF Suez.

Now, each year, the state, which holds more than 35% of GDF Suez, will set in order, the conditions of changing prices for the coming year. Then, while respecting this context, GDF Suez will propose an increase or decrease these rates."The natural gas rates will change based on costs incurred by the company to supply the final customer," the statement said. The new framework provides, inter alia, a review of annual costs out of supply (transmission, distribution, storage …) and quarterly changes in supply costs. Subsequently, these proposals will be subject to approval by the Regulatory Commission of Energy (CRE).

GDF Suez said that rising oil prices will not be reflected in the price of gas.

At mid-session, the stock price GDF Suez wins 0.90% (30.20 euros) to the Paris Bourse, where the Cac 40 in advance of 0.55%.

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Occupation: No recovery until 2011

Friday, December 25th, 2009

The stabilization of the unemployment rate to 9.1% of the workforce, the French plunges further into the past: in early 2006, when the indicator peaked at a similar figure, before falling to unprecedented s 'is followed. In total, during the year 2009, the weak economy has had reason to 373,000 jobs, an increase in the number of job seekers by 20.3%. A particularly tough fall for the industry, which has accumulated during that dark year structural and cyclical crises, destroying nearly 100,000 jobs for the first half of 2009 alone.

Measures directly aimed at boosting the labor market, set up under the stimulus plan, however, seem to have limited the damage. "Put in connection with money taken by other countries, the stimulus is small.But the measures for use therein have been good "said Eric Heyer, Deputy Director at OFCE.

Offset

In total, the government estimates at 400,000 the number of jobs created or preserved by all actions taken under the recovery plan partial unemployment, subsidized contracts, extending device reclassification professional device "zero charge" for the 'hiring of an employee by TPE … -. If this figure is currently not verifiable, stabilizing unemployment announced by INSEE in the third quarter of 2009, and out of recession that began in the second, appear reassuring signals. … While analysts agree today to find that the adjustment of the labor market is still far from complete.

When is therefore a market recovery in employment and lower unemployment? Not before 2011, say the economists."Growth of 1.3% proposed by employment center for 2010 will not be sufficient to generate net new jobs," said Ernst and Bernard, director of statistics, surveys and forecasts for employment center. "Given the French productivity, only a growth above 2.5% would generate" confirms Eric Heyer, highlighting the gap of three quarters generally observed between resumed growth and lower unemployment rates. Same story with Nicolas Bouzou, economist at Altars, which estimates that unemployment will stabilize at best in 2010. "The problem is that this stabilization occurs at a high level," says he.

Brakes

Various factors should indeed help to limit the decline in unemployment in the months ahead.First, partial unemployment: as he has played a buffer role on the labor market by reducing redundancies, it should eventually stop the resumption of hiring. The 143,000 employees have benefited from the device indeed logically gather their full-time position, in priority to any additional recruitment. Second brake that is particularly Eric Heyer: the reinstatement of unemployment discouraged job seekers. "The stabilization of unemployment in the third quarter was partly due to traditional discouraged jobseekers less well positioned on the labor market.When the activity will leave, they re-subscribe, mechanically limiting the decline in unemployment. "An argument that employment center does not yet resumed its consideration.

If the unemployment rate should best pursue its stabilization in 2010, an additional shadow is looming: While the acceleration slows overall unemployment in recent months, the increase in long-term unemployed, who thus lose some little employability, increasing gradually. "The first people to find work are generally those who have been unemployed for some time. The number of long-term increases so mechanically, and should in this case continue to grow in first quarter 2010.

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"Net rebound in temporary jobs in Q3