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Not a word has filtered out of the conversation between Nicolas Sarkozy and PSA boss Philippe Varin. For nearly an hour, the two men met at the Elysee about the factory in Aulnay-sous-Bois in Seine Saint-Denis. The future of this plant, which employs over 3,300 people, would be threatened, unions fear. The presidency as the automotive group has declined to comment on leaving the meeting.

Nicolas Sarkozy wanted to convince Philippe Varin to organize a roundtable discussion with unions and industry minister, Eric Besson, "next week" to discuss the future of the site. A request of the unions, the president-candidate met Thursday at his campaign headquarters.

"All done" to save the plant

Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday, on the antenna of i-TV: he will "do anything to save this plant." For him, it must "ease the burden on the wages of employees and the contributions of the company." He recalled that the business tax that has weighed deleted "250 euro per car manufactured in France." "It's fine to say that the cars must be manufactured in France, but if you put on in France making more taxes than elsewhere, there is a relocation," he concluded.

The unions said they were somewhat reassured after their head to head with Nicolas Sarkozy business cards design. "The words we hear a lot, but the words fly away, we want it written guarantees, said Jean-Pierre Mercier, the CGT. We play our skin. "And not just employees of PSA 9000 with direct and indirect jobs, PSA Aulnay is one of the largest employers in Seine-Saint-Denis, according to the General Council.

The record of the Aulnay plant is back on center stage last weekend. The unions had then expressed their disappointment after a meeting between employee representatives and management organized by the prefect of Seine Saint-Denis. But the concern of unions as of June 2011 and the disclosure of internal working documents of the automaker speculating a closure of Aulnay. Unions fear that the decline in production will continue and lead eventually to a cessation of activity on this site.

"We want to continue working"

In recent months the government has stepped up operations in the industrial thorny issues. Latest success, the recovery of the carrier Sernam by Geodis. In the case of Peugeot, the unions are skeptical, as expressed by Jean-Pierre Mercier Thursday: "We all know that the management of Peugeot expects the presidential and legislative elections to officially announce the closure of this factory, we are unwilling not die, we want to continue working. "

Cemented over the Internet and social networks, legends are built today at full speed. Especially in the "global village" of finance. Demonstrated experience in recent days by crossing Iksil Bruno, senior trader but anonymous until last Friday the bank JP Morgan in London.

The man remains discreet, understandably. Within days, he became the "whale of London", or "the Thames", or "white" – we do not know too much – or Voldemort, the terrible witch of the Harry Potter … The number of nicknames given to it becomes suspect. The story is told that then took a dramatic turn when it was revealed that the banker in question was French, a fact which would be enough to make a "trader crazy," Kerviel in a power nap.

This trader is part of the Chief Investment Office of JP Morgan in London. Mission: to cover the global credit risk of the bank. A bank, remember, which is one of the first in the world with some 2.3 trillion dollars in assets, including nearly 1 trillion of bank loans or bond companies.

Cover such a balance, that is to say smooth risk, entails putting a lot of money in the balance. And that's what the CIO of JP Morgan in London: its positions would reach $ 350 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. A figure which should not be misunderstood. Within this volume, the positions that bet on the rise of a particular index are largely offset by positions that bet on a decline, leaving the final few tens of millions of dollars, still in danger Loss … or possibility of gain.

An aberration of market

Why the activity of this team of JP Morgan is she suddenly appeared in full light? Bruno Iksil would take very large positions on a particular index, a derivative that replicates the behavior of CDS (credit default swaps) of some 121 companies short term personal loans. Such large positions that its movements can only move the value of this product, regardless of the price of 121 CDSs that compose it. A market aberration which obviously was not without consequences on some hedge funds, put in losses by the orders of the influential CIO JP Morgan. It is in this context it seems that some seem to have wanted to settle accounts in the press intermediary.

Behind "the matter of the whale in London," we therefore call one of those pretty poker games including financial traders have the secret. JP Morgan, who has not the reputation of being a bank-casino chooses to treat it with discretion. She is content to know that the activities of its London office are intended to cover its loan portfolio, and that the positions taken are knowingly.

The story may therefore be short-lived. Even if it raises real questions about the functioning of finance today. The first key of course the lack of market transparency of derivatives products, and in particular credit derivatives, whose gross volume reached tens of billions of dollars worldwide. The second, current, examines the nature of transactions. When these volumes are involved, is it still just hedging strategy or can we not think that JP Morgan also plays some of his capital? Soon, this question is no longer just theoretical: under Volcker rule that will apply to U.S. banks that collect deposits, such as JP Morgan, will no longer have the right to make the proprietary trading .

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SunPartner, a start-up of Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhone) specializes in solar energy, has signed a partnership with the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to develop and build a demonstrator of the second generation of photovoltaic power plant at low concentration. SunPartner has already shown with the development by its subsidiary Wysips a transparent film photovoltaics to recharge his mobile in the sun.

The project developed by its subsidiary Axiosun with CEA and one of its laboratories, the Institute Liten, specializing in new energy and nanotechnology, will compete with conventional photovoltaic market is now taken in a squeeze between fierce competition from China and declining subsidies in France and other European countries.

"The solar modules are not the optimal solution. Concentration yields lower costs by 20% to the cost of panels Chinese "and thus become competitive, says Ludovic Deblois, the founding president of SunPartner. Photovoltaic power plants developed by Axiosun make it possible to focus with concave mirrors up to 12 times the sun's rays, which reduces the cell size implemented for the same energy. In addition, advance Ludovic Deblois, these modules retain a high yield of about 19%, despite the increase in temperature due to the concentration, whereas with the standard modules, the yield decreases by 1 or 2% per degree additional.

Reduce costs

Axiosun is positioned in the segment of small and medium power (to drive a company, a village or small town) in area to strong sunlight.

He installed the first plant at low concentration in France in Saint-Cannat near Aix-en-Provence and two in Morocco. The issue of partnership with the CEA signed for three years with a budget of 2.2 million is to improve the technology. The objective is to achieve a cost per kWh up to 40% lower than with a central ground to conventional panels. One key is the development of a manufacturing process to local costs well below Chinese costs by investing ten times lower.

The project is part of the proposed City of energies, initiated earlier this year by CEA Cadarache, near Aix-en-Provence. This platform of several dozen hectares is home to companies that CEA helps innovate and where demonstrators can be built. Axiosun going to make a pilot. Eight other partnerships have been forged by the CEA for a total of 26 million euros, including a solar desalination unit developed with Veolia.

"Our bet is that innovation makes it possible to reduce costs at all stages of production, to make solar competitive," says Pierre Joubert, head of the antenna to the direction of technological research, CEA Cadarache. "On the technology concentration, there is no viable competitors. Our goal is to develop a sector in France. "

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The principle is simple: the competition is based on a survey indicating that Australians belonging to the male does not spend enough time with each other. The beer brand Fourex (XXXX), which belongs to the Lion Group, proposes a trip "with friends" on a desert island for six acres, located south of the Great Barrier Reef. For the occasion, "Pumpkin Island" has even been renamed "XXXX Island" for a three-year lease.

Develop a desert island "between guys"

But before you get to this paradise on earth supposed to make men happy, certain conditions must be met. At the risk of disappointing many, it must reside in Australia and be an adult. Then it comes to submit ideas to the team Fourex on ways to make this island as "the best destination for vacation with the guys." In this qualifying phase, the proposals tributary to the site. Rugby ground in the lagoon to the equipment that can fly from one beach to another and from one bar to another, via a fishing platform that includes a bar, all dreams or spend almost. The contest organizers urge participants to be "brilliant, or even brilliantly horniest horniest ', like Robinson Crusoe.

Once the five candidates selected by the votes of Internet users and the brand, they can apply their ideas on the island, in a spirit of idleness, and, once again, "the guys", the only company "feminine "is that of beer at will.

XXXX Island: "The Good Life", the island reserved … by Gentside

A general trend in advertising

For Cesvet Bertrand, chairman and senior partner of the Canadian ad agency Sid Lee and marketing, the campaign Fourex is part of the current trend of big brands. "Before, the traditional advertising scheme was the recurrence of a clear message to force the consumer to purchase. Now there is a desire for participation on the part of consumers. It is about creating conversations around the brand, encouraging word of mouth rather than traditional media. There is no real communication about the product but rather a fact of life here in this case the decline in male camaraderie "he says.  

Also according Cesvet Bertrand, who also manages the advertising of brands Adidas, Heineken, Grimbergen, Dom Perignon or Ubisoft, this big campaign costing several million dollars is quite intelligent and successful, especially that it does not associate the clichés often found in advertisements for beer (sexist, girls in bikinis …). Finally, the operation conducted by the Australian brand is in full interactivity, just like the advertising campaign conducted in 2010 by Tipp-Ex on Youtube, featuring a multiple scenario between a bear and a hunter.

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Ikea for 30 years would have dreamed, best advertising. But a month after the revelation of illegal policing practices of employees and customers by Chained Duck and Mediapart, the direction of Ikea France wants to show it has taken stock of the situation. Vanoverbeke Stefan, head of the French subsidiary of the Swedish furniture giant yesterday presented its action plan and its working group to improve the image of the group being undermined by the discovery of internal mails mentioning the use of private detectives and the font file. Activities that led to Ikea France sidelined several top executives, including Jean-Louis Baillot, CEO of the subsidiary at the relevant time. "An internal audit by an independent firm has established that there had been research practices of information not consistent with our values. This is unacceptable and I regret it, "said Stefan Vanoverbeke. The current owner is careful however to discuss the future of the people involved to "preserve the presumption of innocence" and leave the floor of Versailles, seized by the CFDT union, do his job. "It is up to judges to say what is illegal or not. We just want to cooperate, "he said.

A pilot initiative

And as proof of his goodwill, Ikea France, which has already seen its headquarters raided and visited by the CNIL (National Data Protection Authority) in its stores, plans to give the prosecution the findings of its internal audit. But it is mostly a working basis for a group of four managers responsible for "strengthening the values ​​and ethical standards." "It's not an excuse but it does not direct a company of 10,000 employees as a company that has only 500 easy payday loans. The findings of the survey showed us that our way of working no longer fit our size, "explains Stefan Vanoverbeke.

Ikea already had a code of conduct but the group had been working to develop a global charter. Irregularities discovered in France gave a good boost to the initiative, even if the boss of Ikea France considers that there is "no reason to believe that such practices occurred in other countries where group is established. " No investigation has been carried out elsewhere. "France will be a pilot," he says. Beginning in June, the working group should thus be able to make concrete proposals for reforming corporate governance, support managers and staff, recruitment of technical change but also monitor compliance with the group values . "We developed this action plan because we want to act quickly to give answers to our employees, social partners and customers. But we hope that these answers are of quality, "says the CEO that all employees of the group can now contact directly by e-mail. For clients, Stefan Vanoverbeke remains attentive to comments left on forums where he received "varying degrees of concern." Not enough empty stores nor sinking sales, however.

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Since formalizing his candidacy on February 15, Nicolas Sarkozy deseeded dozens of proposals, with its compiled in a campaign document, as an accurate, encrypted, presented Thursday. According to his entourage, the president candidate could submit a new "strong measure" in the social field. Earlier this week, Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated that its entire program will ask for 115 billion euros to the French effort, spending about 75 billion, 40 billion on revenue.

Nicolas Sarkozy also has his "letter to the French," in which he exhibited his "values" and his "vision of France" by the year 2017. This document, published in several million copies, will be distributed "by activist," says his entourage. On the first page of the 36-page document, is a sentence written in manuscript by Nicolas Sarkozy: "My fellow Americans, there is nothing more beautiful than the love of his country." "My goal is clear: France to build a strong enough in the next five years (…), yes reconcile France and France's failure" to the European referendum in 2005, Nicolas Sarkozy said.

• Economy and Public Finance

"" All my proposals are built around one goal: the balance of public finances in 2016, "said Nicolas Sarkozy. He confirmed in his project a French public deficit has 0% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 and a surplus of 0.5% in 2017. Incumbent President states in his proposed reduction of the French public debt to 80.2% in 2017 instead of 85.8% in 2011 with European commitments.

"To achieve the deficit targets, the tax burden will increase from 43.8% of GDP in 2011 to 45.6% in 2017 in France. Nicolas Sarkozy plans in its plan to cut public spending in France to 51.9% of GDP in 2017 instead of 55.9% in 2011.

"Nicolas Sarkozy has acknowledged that 115 billion effort is needed over five years. "I have to add the 9.5 billion campaign proposals," he added. This brings the total effort of 124 billion. Three quarters will focus on reducing expenses, the remainder of the revenue, insisted the president candidate, as he had already announced.

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This time it's done. Philips has withdrawn its television division. Finally. Because it took nearly a year to Franz Van Houten, CEO of Philips, to complete this operation. It is also the patron of the first strategic decision, arrived at the head of the Dutch company just last year.

Over the last two years, the division of Philips TVs has accumulated just over 500 billion euros of losses – including the costs of disengagement from Philips. Now, the new entity should be able to go on a sounder footing. "Philips has made its teams, its innovations, expertise and POS … its competitiveness and mastery of the supply chain," says Marie-Veronique Cazeaux, CEO of TP Vision France. This distribution corresponds well to the state of the TV market. The traditional players are innovative, but no longer able to cope with Chinese manufacturers competitive. Not to mention the Korean Samsung and LG, which now occupy the top two spots on the podium.

Recurrent source of losses

"POS is a registered almost unknown in France electronic check payday advance. Yet they are world number three, "says Marie-Veronique Cazeaux. The group of Hong Kong, which is also a world leader for PC monitors, manufactures televisions under the brand AOC label and distributor. It will add TVs Vision Lab, exclusively sold under the Philips brand.

For Dutch, the operation should allow it to disengage from a recurring source of losses, while remaining present to the general public about the TV market. Market oh so iconic. "We have an excellent brand image, says Marie-Veronique Cazeaux. Now we move into a replacement market. There are six or seven years, Philips held 25% market share and it is these customers who return to shop. "

The question is whether the effect will be faithful enough to come back into favor as Philips. In 2011, he held less than 7-10% of the French market, against 25% for Samsung.

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Nicolas Sarkozy made it from 7.6 million viewers have followed "The Voice", this Saturday night on TF1? We know that the president is a fan of the show and he had not missed the first episode of "battles" Saturday, March 24. He still recalled Friday on Europe 1.

This is the first time the télécrochet TF1 falls below the 8 million viewers: 9.2 million for the program was launched on February 25 and March 3 8300000, 8600000 March 10 , 8,500,000 17 March and 8.1 million fans on March 24.

Johnny Hallyday May 5

The hearings this Saturday do not have enough to worry TF1 insofar as the market shares remain very high, reaching 35% in four years and more, and 49% on housewives under fifty years cash till payday advance. Especially, "The Voice" ahead widely all competing channels: with "The Glades", M6 ranks second with 2.9 million viewers.

Some events and the participation of stars should allow TF1 to maintain the public interest until May 12, probable date of the final. Johnny Hallyday and is it expected in the next issue on May 5.

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Times are changing. Apple also. Tim Cook, CEO of the group, visited China this week. This is the chief executive of the Apple brand to do so. Territory that Steve Jobs has ignored many years before the first open an Apple Store in 2008, but he never went. Thursday, the world's factory and especially Apple, China today is a tremendous reservoir of consumers. The Chinese world – mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan – is already the second largest brand, behind the United States.

No question of the destination then sulk. "China is very important to us and we look forward to further invest and grow here," and said Carolyn Wu, spokesman for the brand in one of the few interventions official Apple communication very stingy on the Overall the visit Tim Cook. Received with honors by the Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, tipped to succeed next year in the current prime minister, Wen Jiabao, also met with California leading operators China Unicom and China Telecom. First local operator, China Mobile still in talks with Apple to launch iPhone on its network. Moreover, an intellectual property litigation on the brand "IPAD" claimed by a Hong Kong company, slows sales of iPad in China, where the latest version has not yet been launched.

Wave of suicides at Foxconn

But the trip leader California also sought to address criticisms been rising, from around the world, on the manufacturing conditions of its high-tech products payday loans lenders. In 2010, a wave of suicides had given to Foxconn, Apple's main supplier that produces iPhone and iPad in China, a fatal reputation, yet tarnished by an explosion in a factory and workers of poisoning by chemicals.

An image so disastrous that earlier this year, the American actor Mike Daisey had no trouble getting across the Atlantic believe that Foxconn, children 12 years working in factories guarded by armed guards, before admitting that this information had been made.

No wonder Tim Cook will be split from a visit to the new Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, south-west of Beijing, including the official photos showed smiling employees. The Apple brand is committed to improving working conditions in its factory in China, signing an agreement with Foxconn on the hiring of tens of thousands of employees, improving safety and solving the problem for hours additional illegal.

Earlier, China had the opportunity to lecture foreign companies invited by Li Keqiang to "take more care of their workers," according to comments reported by the official daily English-language China Daily.

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Born primarily the desire to escape the influence of the United States and Europe, the group of Brics, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is still seeking an identity. For now, the five emerging economies, which account for 40% of world population and weigh almost a quarter of global GDP, have in common especially their insolent growth. A favorable economic foundation for greater integration, but that has yet to consolidate.

More ambitiously, the desire to define a common diplomacy is squarely a figment of the imagination, as are large differences within the Brics international political crises. Not to mention the simmering conflict between India and China, who have not settled their border issues.

Nevertheless, the Brics are taking shape. And the fourth summit of the five emerging countries to be held Thursday in New Delhi could lead to some concrete decisions. "The Brics are a unique group. It is not based on geography, as the European Union (EU) or the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN), "notes Sudhir Vyas, Secretary for Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Delhi. Adding: "Beyond their role as drivers of global growth, the five countries are united in their desire to seek durable solutions to global challenges, they can afford."

Although Beijing and New Delhi have revised their growth forecasts downwards, the two capitals show figures to be the envy of Europe and the U.S.: + 7.5% of GDP increase in China this year + 6.9% in India. According to a report released Wednesday by Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank, India could become the world's largest economy by 2050. "China will overtake the U no teletrack payday loans.S. in 2020, and will be overtaken in turn by India in 2050," analysts said.

Compete with the dollar

Wednesday, the eve of the summit, trade ministers of Brics had several working sessions in New Delhi. "The consequences of the financial crisis (in Europe) affect everyone. We must work together to overcome the problem, "said the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Anand Sharma. Chen Deming, his Chinese counterpart, dearer: "It is urgently necessary to prevent the crisis in the European Union is escalating."

The agenda of the summit of Brics is vast. It only last a few hours, in a transformed Indian capital into a fortress. It will discuss food security, health, but also the puzzle of the Iranian nuclear and Syria. The highlight, however, will create a "bank of Brics", already nicknamed "South-South Bank." The project, proposed by the Indians, is still in its infancy. But the idea is timely then that the Brics seek to formalize their lives by forging institutions.

Bank of Brics would particularly called upon to finance infrastructure projects in developing countries. It is also a great way to circumvent the euro and the dollar … the benefit of the Chinese currency. This is not to please all members of the group. Brazil, in particular, complained about the undervaluation of the yuan. "This project shows that bank emerging attempt to withdraw from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which are dominated by Westerners," says John Mashaka for its part, an analyst at Wells Fargo Capital Markets.

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