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"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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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. "

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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When Samsung reports on its activities in France, this looks like a show of force. Thursday, March 22, local teams of Korean have an update on the business performance of the brand in France. The balance is simple: Samsung is number one on almost all markets.

Last year, Samsung has done just under 3 billion euros in turnover in the Hexagon, an increase of 18% compared to 2010. He now owns 40% of the French mobile market, "20 points ahead of number two (note: Nokia)," says David Eberle, head of the division in France Telecom. In 2011, 24 million phones were sold in the country, including 11.5 million smartphones. On the latter segment, Samsung also advanced in first place with 36.6% of sales. He is now focusing on its capacity for innovation and new products to strengthen its positions.

On the TV market, Samsung has also managed to conquer France. Last year, about 8.3 million televisions sold nearly one in four was a Samsung. A position that the Korean intends to maintain, despite an expected decline in the market which is expected to fall to 7 million units. To support sales, Samsung highlights the features of its TV connected as the availability of Skype.

Now the Samsung steamroller is on its way. In the computer first. The group is "a number of monitors on the market with 20.8% of sales, number one on the printer for individuals, and a number of digital signage, with over 50% of the market," said Agnes Van de Walle, head of the IT sector. With the launch of new PCs Ultrabooks, Korean intends to carve cruppers its competitors in this field.

But Samsung's ambitions do not stop there. Still very present in digital photography, it intends to change the situation, including through cameras with WiFi function. The brand is considered "legitimate" to offer such products, given its experience in telephony. One way to answer the picture of historical actors who consider themselves to be often the only "legitimate" for everything that is shot.

Korean is also seeking to strengthen its presence in home appliances, starting with the cold (refrigerator) and washing (washing machine and dishwasher). Not to mention the lighting: the first Korean LED will be in stores in the coming weeks! Samsung builds on the reputation acquired in the two markets are the flagship of the TV and the mobile to reach its global sales. A strategy that so far has paid off.

The worst of the debt crisis past, the "peripheral countries" do not enjoy all of the lull. Italy borrows almost three times cheaper than Portugal, the country most at risk in the euro zone, after Greece, according to the markets.

Began in December by the massive injection of liquidity by the ECB, relaxing on the yields of government bonds has increased with the green light to the second bailout of Greece. But it did not erase the differences. The gaps widen, reflected changes in interest rates. Italy clearly winning out with a cost of borrowing to ten years, which is strongly relaxed since early January, falling below 5% – 4.83 yesterday – against 7.5% last November. For the first time in months, Italy borrows cheaper than Spain.

Emissions Italian week confirm this relaxation. Wednesday, the Italian Treasury has borrowed 6 billion euros, the maximum, at rates much lower: 2.76% over three years, against 3.41% in mid-February, and 4.30% over seven years, against 5.81% last October. "The decline in yields is in itself a source of very substantial improvement in the situation of the country, which suffers mainly a problem of debt burden (1900000000000)," said Patrick Jacq, rate analyst BNP Paribas. This is the effect Mario Monti. Thanks to the reforms announced, the curves were reversed ten years between Italy and Spain.

New help

Despite the massive purchases of Spanish debt on the ECB funds at year end, Spain just to reassure markets. The upward revision of the deficits from 2011 to 8.5% of GDP and the trade snatched from the Ecofin on Tuesday on a new deficit target for 2012, 5.3% instead of 4.4% worried investors. The Government Leader Mariano Rajoy, who campaigned for 5.8%, ruled yesterday the new EU objective "reasonably accessible" even if it involves an effort further 5 billion euros.

The dunce cap comes in Portugal, whose rates exceed 13% ten years, despite the level of EU support, the IMF and debt purchases by the ECB. The cost of borrowing is too high for Portuguese expect a return on the market in 2013. So, the rumors about a second bailout or restructuring of debt is increasing. The European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Olli Rehn, was expected Wednesday night in Lisbon to take stock of the nation's finances with the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Berlin: 22 billion for the European fund

The German government approved Wednesday by the Cabinet, the on-call rescue the euro area. The European Stability Mechanism (SPM) has a $ 500 billion of lending capacity and 80 billion euros of capital. He will take office on July 1. Germany is the largest contributor of TSS.

Berlin will provide 21.7 billion euros in capital and more than 150 billion euros in the form of loan guarantees. Germany must pay 8.7 billion euros this year. Which will require a supplementary budget. The MES will be submitted to the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, which represents the regional states.

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In the third five-day strike of cabin crew of Air France, the company hopes to provide 85% of the flights scheduled that day, she warned this morning, while a strike notice was filed until Wednesday, November 2 included. Sunday night, Air France said it had secured 88% of its flights of the day, and sent 120,000 passengers.

Remember, the movement is to protest against the proposed reduction in the number of cabin crew in some aircraft, as well as against a reform of the evaluation of these same individuals. The conflict has generated over the weekend a battle of numbers between unions and management. According to the latter, there would be 30% of strikers. The UNSA has instead assessed the proportion of strikers to 65% Sunday, after 50% Saturday payday loan.

"Management is currently parades, but it can not hold the road in five days," said Gaëlle Sibril, steward of Southern Air. "That's why we filed a notice of strike for five days because we know they can be organized over two days but no more," she added. Didier Foussat union FO-SNPNC, "the strike will ramp up because all the volunteers PNC reserves are currently using." For him, "we arrive at a peak" from Monday. "From experience, the third day, ie Monday, which will be very complicated," Judge Philippe Sports Meanwhile, the UNSA.

Player Figaro BFM

"It will take place, and this is probably a matter of months, the issue of financing of our welfare. It will probably include the participation of imports. "In two sentences, the head of state made it clear that social VAT probably figure prominently in its program during the next presidential campaign. The mechanism is to fund Social Security by a consumption tax, so among other products imported from countries practicing "social dumping". In exchange, the contributions that affect the cost of labor is lightened, in order to gain competitiveness – a leitmotif of the presidential intervention on Thursday night. Social VAT is not exactly a topic that shares the political class on the line right to left as usual low fee payday loans.Manuel Valls, only the PS, is favorable, as the centrist Jean Arthuis or UMP Jean-Francois Cope and Valérie Pécresse, Xavier Bertrand and others in the majority are reluctant, fearing an inflationary effect, so a loss of purchasing power of households.

The president has however ruled out any attempt at protectionism to fight against offshoring. Establish tariffs would "make sense", he decided, in a clear allusion to the "de-globalization" praised by Arnaud Montebourg.

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Meanwhile Cannes … The G20 finance ministers, held Friday and Saturday in Paris, was aimed to prove once again to the European partners that it was at the bedside of the crisis currently affecting the area, but also to mark the stage for the G20 heads of state to be held in early November on the Croisette.

This Saturday, the central bankers have therefore agreed to support and rebalance the global economy in a context of heightened tensions, and lead coordinated policies in the short and long term."Advanced countries will adopt, taking into account their respective national circumstances, policies to strengthen the confidence and support growth and implement measures clear, credible and targeted to rebalance public finances," it said in the final communiqué.

While in the coming days, the United States should "clarify" their budgetary consolidation measures and China commit to "rebalance" its growth engines, the Europeans themselves have promised to respond "comprehensive and sustainable "to the debt crisis that mine. In this context, the results of the European Summit of 23 October will be "decisive," assured on Saturday the Minister of Economy, Baroin, who chaired the summit.The G20 ministers expect indeed a "comprehensive plan" that will "provide an aggressive response to current challenges."

All topics to be discussed in Brussels at the EU summit and then to Cannes and is listed in the press release.If the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 welcomed the decisions taken in late July to strengthen the powers and capacity of intervention of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), they said to wait for new work to maximize the impact of the fund, and that to "avoid any risk of contagion" from the Greek crisis to other economies.

The warning from Christine Lagarde

On the issue of banks, ministers say they will ensure "that banks have an adequate level of capital and have adequate access to funding to address current risks," while the new haircut on debt of the Greek state held by private creditors will be known on October 23.

Prevention rather than cure. Monday, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, CEO of Air France, met with unions to prepare them for a more austere than expected return. Deemed "constructive" by the company management, the meeting was to "share" a moody vision of the coming months, which will result in a strengthening economy measures probably formalized in October after the committee Strategic Air France-KLM.

In 2010-2011, Air France announced a cost reduction of nearly 600 million euros. This time, no figures were mentioned. But Monday, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon spoke of "the lack of visibility" on the economic and spoke of the "specter of recession."

No to social at first. A voluntary redundancy scheme has indeed completed at Air France. In two years, the company lost 10% of its workforce.It is not clear that new candidates would raise his finger when a window was open initially. "We should make use of unwanted departures. Now we want to respect the social contract of the company, "said one member of management. Yet behind the scenes, some trade unionists believe that a cost reduction plan will not be enough: "If growth is not to go, plan on removing items from 5,000 to 10,000 is to be feared," stated Monday a trade unionist. Air France has 58,000 employees.

"We will target the fixed-term contracts and temporary contracts and make greater use of outsourcing," lists a spokesman. The hiring freeze, eased in recent months again become very strict.But the recruitment of drivers provided as part of the opening of bases from province to Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Bordeaux should not be affected payday loans.

Air France will ask all departments to review their budget down. Each manager will be responsible for making proposals in this direction, allowing a second step to calculate the new plan to reduce costs. Another source of savings, reduced capacity of the company, that is to say the removal of flights. After the announcement in late July from a reduction in the growth of long-haul traffic during the winter, is now expected to do the same during the summer of 2012.

In ten days of the announcement of his mégacommande of long-haul aircraft, shared with KLM, the management of Air France said that his austerity plan, however, should not affect aircraft deliveries.

The arrival of Alitalia

A new period of turbulence looks while the current management of Air France to start his estate. The prospective dolphins Pierre-Henri Gourgeon shall take the levers when the profitability of the company has won compared to that of its major European competitors such as Lufthansa or IAG (involving British Airways and Iberia). For its part Lufthansa said on Monday it would sell its subsidiary to British Midlands, which allowed him to gain a foothold in London.

Air France-KLM does not transfer. The Franco-Dutch group is preparing for a majority stake in Alitalia.

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The CAC 40, which gained nearly 4% over the last three sessions, was down 0.65% at 3119 points on Thursday on the eve of the intervention (16 hours on Friday, Paris time) of President of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke. He could announce new measures of monetary easing to support the U.S. economy. Or, failing that, to maintain low rates. Meanwhile, despite cost-cutting measures announced yesterday in France, and which could have an impact on some companies, the stock index, which opened up this morning, was up until about 1530, slowly approaching the 3200 points mark. Before turning down, weighed down by various rumors, immediately denied, one on the degradation of the AAA rating in Germany, the other on a total ban on short selling in the country.These rumors have pushed the Dax in Frankfurt ended sharply lower after losing 1.71% to 4%.

On the macroeconomic front, two indicators were expected at the meeting. The morale of German consumers, hit by the debt crisis in the eurozone and the agony of a recession has reached its lowest level since late 2010, announced Thursday the specialized institute GfK. The GfK said its consumer confidence index, which provides for their behavior in September according to data compiled in August stood at 5.2 points and finds its level in November 2010. This is his sixth consecutive decline.

Above all, the weekly jobless claims in the U.S. rose unexpectedly during the week of Aug. 20, at 417,000 against 412,000 the previous week, according to data from U.S. Department of Labor unveiled at 14:30.What foster uncertainty and investor concerns about the health of the world's largest economy, while analysts had forecast 405,000 registrations.

In France, unemployment figures and job seekers for the month of July will be released after market close at 6:00 p.m..Labour Minister, Xavier Bertrand, warns that unemployment figures "are wrong as were those of the previous two months."

Side raw materials, oil prices rose Thursday to open in New York a barrel of "light sweet crude" for October delivery was trading at 85.99 dollars, up 83 cents from the previous day.

Sharp decline in quarterly profit of Crédit Agricole

On the corporate side, the ball of the results continues.

Crédit Agricole: + 4.81% to 6.511 euros – largest increase in the CAC 40 to BNP Paribas (2.74% to 34.36 euros) and Societe Generale (3.44% to 22.13 euros).

Crédit Agricole has published a net profit down 10.6% to 339 million euros in the second quarter 2011, due to a charge of 640 million related to Greece.In addition, the group could spend 1.5 billion euros to recapitalize its subsidiaries in Southern Europe including the Greek bank Emporiki, according to the Letter of expansion without citing sources.half-year results of companies, including Credit Agricole and Edenred, the branch of Accor Services.

Edenred: + 1.58% to 17.70 euros

Edenred announced interim results and annual targets in line with analysts' expectations, the strong activity in Latin America continue to boost the profits of the group.

Alstom: – 0.91% to 30.485 euros

Alstom has signed two contracts for more than 100 million euros to supply equipment for controlling the air quality in the Middle East.

Cellectis: 12% to 6.72 euros

Cellectis has entered a development agreement and license with the American Recombinetics on "the creation of transgenic large animals" such as pigs, sheep or cattle.

Schneider Electric – 0.18% to 89.14 euros

Schneider Electric announced that its takeover bid for Telvent Git SA expire 30 August instead of September 12.

Gemalto: + 6.33% to 31.41 euros

Gemalto has reported a strong growth in its half-yearly sales, thanks to the strong growth of its secure transactions that are now the most profitable activity of the group.

Bureau Veritas: + 1.14% to 53.89 euros

Bureau Veritas announced adjusted net income up 10% to 164.2 million euros in the first half, operating margin declined 70 basis points to 16.0%, and confirmed predict a sharp increase in the number and business results in 2011.