"If I am elected, I do not gèlerai, but I stoop down the salary of the president and ministers of 30%." By November 2011, Francois Hollande had made the campaign promise very symbolic, while Nicolas Sarkozy marked the spirits in increase of 172% net salary (of 7,084 to 19,331 euros) on arrival at the Elysee. Presented at the first cabinet meeting on Thursday by the new prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, the measure was formally adopted, confirmed by several cabinet members. Accordingly, the president and ministers will have their wages fall by 30%. "This is exemplary," explained Jean-Marc Ayrault Wednesday on France 2. This measure will be a decree. But this law, which will not be adopted before June and the election of the National Assembly, "will be retroactive," said the spokesman of the government, Najat Belkacem-Vallaud. It is therefore effective "as of May 15" date of the nomination of Francis Holland as president.

The gross monthly salary of Ministers will therefore decrease of 14,200 euros per month, to 9,940 euros. That of the Prime Minister will also be trimmed from 21,300 euros to 14,910 euros gross. Like, finally, the compensation of the President of the Republic which is equivalent to the Prime Minister. With a plane that has a surprising consequence. Ex-Ministers continue to earn more than their successors for another six months. Indeed, each team member Francois Fillon retain his salary during this period. A privilege granted to all former ministers, who lose their theory, however, other benefits.

In the camp of the UMP, the reactions to this first measure of government have not kept waiting. Jean-Francois Cope, the party's general secretary, described the pay cut of "deception" on Twitter.

I denounce the imposture, the clannishness and demagoguery are the appointment of the first steps of @ fhollande ump.org / news / esp

. – Jean-Francois Cope (@ jf_cope) May 17, 2012

It explains, in a statement, the government has Ayrault "14 members of more" than the first Fillon government. "We go from 15 ministers, four secretaries of state and a High Commissioner to 34 ministers and deputy ministers, an increase of 65%. Wage cuts of 30% can not hide this fact: the government of Francois Hollande will be far more costly to the taxpayer. "

Largest decline in Europe

If they come later than in other European countries, this decline in compensation of government is by far the strongest. One of the first to take this measure, as he tried to impose on his country a vast austerity plan, was the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen. From 2009, he had reduced his salary and that of his ministers by 15%. In the process, in May 2010, Spain followed the movement by announcing a 15% reduction of salaries of its ministers. In the UK, the British prime minister, David Cameron, newly installed in power, his ministers imposed a 5% decrease in their pay. A dry diet made subsequently by Italy and Portugal, among others.

In Europe a constraint to fiscal Germany still appears a prosperous island. While the German economy grew by 2% annual rate in the first quarter, Angela Merkel and her ministers were granted for the first time in twelve years an increase of wages. The Cabinet decided on Wednesday to a 5.7% increase in three stages by August 2013, bringing the salary of Angela Merkel to about 17,016 euros gross per month and those of his ministers to about 13,795 euros.

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"Industrializing access to start-up." This is one of the goals sought by Electronova Capital, the investment fund which EDF has announced Tuesday. This new tool will prioritize the "cleantech", these companies specializing in innovative technologies environmentally friendly.

"Our approach is flexible: it can be anything to support a project to take an equity stake," said Bernard Salha, director of research and development of EDF. The electrician tricolor, via an annual budget of 500 million euros, is one of those that invest most heavily in R & D.

Turn to France and Europe

Electronova Capital Fund will have a capacity of 60 million minimum investment, and the envelope will increase to 90 million euros, said Thomas Thornton, chief financial officer of EDF faxless pay day loans. The French group has teamed up for the occasion to Indivest Partners, a recognized specialist in SME financing.

"The launch of this fund is a further step in our policy for innovation. We have already taken similar initiatives in China and Canada, while qu'Electronova Capital will initially intended to turn to France and Europe, "said Thomas Aldridge.

Meanwhile the first operation, areas of intervention should not be missed: "The energy landscape is changing; between issues related to CO2, the development of renewable energy and the desire for improved energy efficiency, we are a turning point, "says Bernard Salha.

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The conservative party of Angela Merkel (CDU) just make a new turn to conquer the center-left electorate for the election scheduled next year. Once he was fiercely opposed for several years, the union of conservative Chancellor has finally decided to support the introduction of a minimum wage in Germany.

Holding that the adoption of a "generalized minimum wage" in German might undermine negotiations between industry by industry employers, unions and employees, the CDU had long opposed the project.

But the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced the development of a bill going in this direction. According to his plan, an apolitical committee comprising representatives of employers and employees will be trained to fix a minimum wage at the federal level. This committee will reassess the amount of income each year. Industrial areas that have already negotiated a minimum wage, will not be affected by the introduction of national minimum wage, even if its level is lower. It remains to convince liberal allies of the Chancellor. Advocate for the Mittelstand, the SME network which is the strength of German industry, the FDP strongly opposes the minimum wage.

Centrist electorate

By offering a new bone of contention with the FDP, the Chancellor has again demonstrated that it has no intention of taking gloves with the Liberals in disarray. Her greatest hope is to cut the grass under the feet of his rival Social Democrats and environmentalists, who planned to make the minimum wage one of their main proposals for the parliamentary elections in September 2013. Since coming to power in 2005, Angela Merkel has pushed his party to focus on issues traditionally left – environmental issues, education and child protection – to seduce the centrist electorate. The Chancellor made his most dramatic turnaround last year after the disaster of Fukushima, deciding in the closure of German nuclear power stations and programming for 2022 abandonment of atomic energy. Von der Leyen hopes his proposal will offer a minimum wage "huge boost" to the CDU at the regional elections scheduled May 13 in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous regional state of Germany.

The CDU, however, risk of alienating some of its traditional supporters. "The disastrous consequences of such solutions can be found in European countries that have adopted similar rules, and judge Dieter Hundt, president of German Employers (BDA). Once again it is the weakest who suffer from these measures, because this will complicate their entry into the labor market. "The unions believe instead that the shortage of manpower across the Rhine to help negotiate end of the precariousness of wages.

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"This is the fourth year of the MBA HEC offers this seminar in leadership" off-campus ", which stands on sites the military school of Saint Cyr Coetquidan and Fort Penthievre. The idea is to make teaching by practice on the ground ". While explaining this, Commander Xavier Bout, a professor at HEC and organizer of the seminar, participants observed a group whose goal is to cross a gap in a simulated earthquake. Here, no internship or hardening of team-building, but a pedagogy in situ. "In two days, participants will have completed twenty years, putting each in turn in the position of leader, which allows the instructor who accompanies each group to study the postures, behaviors, and then to make a debriefing. The seminar, which comes amid an MBA, is fully in the curriculum, "he says.

Many schools offer similar courses. Consecutive years, participants of Executive MBA MIP (now part of EDHEC group) took a trip-four-day seminar on management turned on the cruiser helicopter carrier Jeanne d'Arc. As for executives enrolled in the Executive MBA Paris Executive Campus, they will spend several days in June on a military base in Britain.

These seminars, summaries of which could do more to echo reality shows that cozy setting of MBA classes, are not displeasing to many candidates. But their proponents, they should not be reduced to a mere marketing ploy. "The course is to enable learning about decision making in a situation of discomfort," The advance Olivier Fournier, CEO of Paris Executive Campus payday loan companies. All leadership seminars in the field however, are not related to the military.

"Seminar uncertain"

What is sought is primarily the offset, the exercise of leadership in an uncontrolled environment. In the Executive MBA from the NCI, participants depart for example in Poland perform a consulting mission which they become aware that once on site. Since 2003, the International MBA Rouen Business School offers its students a "seminary of uncertainty." The principle? Participants are taken to an unknown destination and group must complete several missions.

"Getting to a point with a compass and unclear instructions, return to its starting pair in opposite directions or build a tetrahedron intended to launch a missile in a limited time," remembers for its part Annina Alanen . Graduated last year from the International MBA Rouen Business School, said she learned a lot from this experience. "It was interesting to hear my own reactions, to see that the conflicts within the group can block any decision or that he who has the solution can not necessarily convince others."

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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. "

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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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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Since the tsunami of 11 March and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Japanese atomic reactors were arrested, one after the other to be auscultated. Today, on the fifty-four boilers that supplied 28% of electricity in the Archipelago, only two work. And they should, they also stop in April to be tested for safety.

The streets of Tokyo shine though all their neon lights, and the life of the megalopolis of 35 million people saw the usual pace of its thousands of trains daily. Certainly, the corridors of Meti, the Ministry of Economy, are left in the dark, for an example. But the great campaign to save energy this summer ended.

This return to almost normal life despite the closure of fifty-two reactors, Japan pays a high price. Imports of oil and gas only for rotating thermal power plants in 2011 jumped by 77% and 18%. For the first time in thirty-one years, Japan had a trade deficit in 2011, 24 billion euros. And began the year with a record monthly deficit of 15 billion euros for the month of January, dug by the price of crude.

In this context, the government and power companies do not hide their desire: to restart nuclear plants faster. Large industrial fear a surge in the cost per kilowatt hour are pushing in this direction. The electrician Tepco, which operated the plant in Fukushima Daiichi and navigates to the brink of bankruptcy, announced an increase in its rates 17% for its major customers.

Restart nuclear facilities, just a year after the nuclear accident which forced 100,000 people to evacuate contaminated area? "For the Japanese, it's almost existential debate," says a French expert on energy, visiting Tokyo. The surveys that follow indicate that the majority of the population wants a nuclear phase-out.

Breach of trust

Reflecting Yuichiro Yonei, student 23 years specializing in energy met at the University of Tsukuba, who lived on March 11 as "a break" pay day loans. The young man, who no longer has confidence in the government's word on disaster management Fukushima, became antinuclear. Many young people who share his position on social networks come to sign the petitions in the tent erected militants since the fall before the Ministry of Economy.

The government Yoshihiko Noda walking on eggshells. It will not go into force. Formally, it does not need the green light of regional governors, elected, but nevertheless takes shelter behind them. To restore confidence, after pointing a report of TEPCO and failures of government, the government is reforming the nuclear safety authority, discredited.

Sixteen reactors only have registered for "stress test". Two of them, Ohi 3 and 4, have been deemed suitable by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and could be the first to restart.

The government plans to present in June or July of its energy strategy for the coming years. "We must remove our dependence on nuclear power and build medium to long term a company that will not have to rely on this energy," said the Prime Minister Noda Saturday.

By the summer season of peak power consumption due to the massive use of air conditioning, the Japanese will have to make tough choices: restart their nuclear reactors or pay the current high price; suffer outages new current or reduce their consumption of 10 to 15%.

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Can we judge the Heads of State or Government for their responsibility in the economic crisis that has shaken the world since 2008? To this question, the parties have used to respond that the verdict will urns – some have already experienced at their expense. Iceland is in court that the former head of government is accountable. Geir Haarde appearing before a special court – the exclusive right to try ministers – for his role in the collapse of the financial system. Adjourned in September, the trial resumed on Monday and will last until March 15. The accused faces up to two years in prison.

That's an understatement to say that Iceland has suffered from the crisis: the economy of the island with 320,000 inhabitants was literally blown away by the explosion of the global financial system in 2008. The three largest banks in the country, which held assets equivalent to 923% of national GDP, went bankrupt. Plunged into deep recession, the country owed its salvation to EUR 1.6 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Popular anger caused by this disaster had forced the then Conservative government of Geir Haarde to resign.

"We saved the country from bankruptcy"

But Iceland is not stopping there 0cherche guilty. In spring 2009, a parliamentary commission of inquiry concluded that the main leaders of countries have made serious mistakes in managing the crisis. The expert report specifically criticized Geir Haarde to have stifled the information leaving early in the year 2008 point to a major financial crisis guaranteed payday loans. The former head must also meet its inaction to reduce the size of banks hypertrophied.  

According to the accused, let the banks go broke "was the right thing to do" and "saved the country from bankruptcy." "The banking sector has collapsed but the real economy, the entire production capacity of the country, remained intact and continues to run," he pleaded last summer. In fact, Iceland has since returned to growth. If the state had guaranteed foreign debts of the banking system, Geir Haarde believes that Iceland would have "the same mistakes" as Greece, for example.

Beyond the merits, the defense challenges the very principle of this trial. She recalled that none of the other ministers implicated by the inquiry commission has not been charged. But among them were two Socialists, and it's socialist majority in Parliament to what income the decision to refer Geir Haarde court. The latter has a field day denouncing a "settling of accounts" policy. More broadly, the former leader sees himself as a scapegoat for the crisis: "There was a collapse of banks around the world (…) Why is there no other political leader in a court like? ".

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