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In extremis, the European Commission and the U.S. shareholders of Dexia have completed their rough Friday trading on the sacrifices that the Franco-Belgian bank will make. "This agreement ends a period of uncertainty extremely painful for the employees of the bank, welcomed yesterday Pierre Mariani, managing director, that is to say operating officer of Dexia.

In the fall of 2008, as Fortis, Dexia had found just hours after insolvent, unable to find markets daily cash needed to balance its balance sheet. Its shareholders (TFB French, Belgian holding parastatal) had flown to her rescue, and the French, Belgian and Luxembourg. Before the Commission, Dexia has also managed to restrict the amount of state aid to the only reviewed recapitalization States.This has helped limit the damage on the amount of concessions that are required of the bank.

Specifically, Dexia will in 2014 have reduced its balance sheet by 35% compared to what it was in late 2008. A goal that adds only a few assignments, relatively marginal to the restructuring plan prepared by management of Dexia itself: in addition to the scheduled liquidation of its bond portfolio, Dexia will divest its subsidiaries in Italy, Spain, Slovakia and insurance in Turkey.

For Pierre Mariani, the key challenge is won Brussels recognizes the viability of Dexia, and considered credible ability to survive without any government assistance free credit report and score . And projections are optimistic, according to the Federation of e-commerce and distance selling (Fevad), who presented the results Tuesday, the amount could reach 46 billion by 2012. The increase in 2009 was fueled in particular the creation of 17,000 new commercial sites, two every hour!

Following an article in financial daily Les Echos, published on Monday, announcing the forthcoming elimination of certain routes deficit (axes Paris-Arras, Lille, Strasbourg, Nantes and Strasbourg), the Secretary of State for Transport, Dominique Bussereau said on RTL on Tuesday, ensuring that no TGV line would be removed. "The SNCF is a public company, it belongs to all French", said Dominique Bussereau. The state is 100% majority, and naturally she has goals of profitability, competition. Still it has a public service missions, missions planning.

A spokesman for the SNCF had indicated on Monday: "There is no specific plan for the removal of sailings," but a "matching supply with demand." A communication that does not convince Dominique Bussereau."I found the denial of the station a little soft, so I say things clearly," said Secretary of State.

No conflict with William Pépy

Dominique Bussereau has refuted the idea that the future increase in tolls, to finance the renovation of the rail network and that the SNCF, could jeopardize the TGV model. "I said that if the state increases in tolls is that the first line paid by taxpayers are also used by foreign trains," he said. "It is that everyone pays, and that the French taxpayer does not subsidize one day railways German or Italian.

Secretary of State for Transport has also denied being in conflict with the president of SNCF Guillaume Pepy, hostile to the higher tolls. "Guillaume Pepy is an excellent president of SNCF, he said.Just when we increase the tolls, two-thirds to leave the station since RFF (Reseau Ferre de France) gives money to the station for which manages and maintains the infrastructure. It's give and take. "

Leaders from General Motors, they would play with the nerves of Saab? After the declaration of the president of General Motors, Ed Whitacre, the U.S. carmaker has decided to continue studying the offers he has received. The evaluation of tenders currently has "no impact on the appointment of AlixPartners, selected to" supervise the gradual closure of Saab ", an appointment must still be validated by the Swedish authorities said General Motors in a statement. The Swedish automaker Saab in trouble Friday was placed in receivership, said the main union for Swedish industry, IF Metall.

A new stage in the process of dismantling Saab has been crossed."It's irresponsible on the part of General Motors of shooting in two different directions, that of a sale and dismantling of a" denounces Löfven Stefan, president of IF Metall, which is a representative member of Board of Directors of Saab. He added: "It is incomprehensible and irresponsible to do this (settlement) without being able to analyze the serious offers that actually exist for Saab. The decision of General Motors is not at all consistent with the messages we have had recently that the company really trying to seriously sell Saab and it was seriously considering the offers it receives.

Spyker and Bernie Ecclestone are in play

Even the bell side Bertrand Rakoto analyst RL Polk. "I am very skeptical about the motivation of executives from General Motors.Although the desire to close Saab has not been openly questioned, the GM executives have repeatedly rejected the dead-line. If they really wanted to close Saab, Spyker they have turned down more quickly. " General Motors has been seeking a year to give Saab a deficit for almost 20 years, as part of its reorganization plan. That did not stop him, after deciding to close Saab, December 18 last, to study the different offers. And to continue the study despite the liquidation court.

Saab less than Volvo?

Several groups, including the Dutch Spyker Genii and funds associated with the treasurer of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has expressed interest in a takeover last minute Swedish Saab. "The strategy of Spyker is clearer than Bernie Ecclestone. Generally, manufacturers have visions longer term.Investment funds have only one idea in mind: profitability. According to most experts, the sale of Saab could bring $ 1.8 billion to General Motors, slightly less than the price of the sale of Volvo (2 billion U.S. dollars). So why the U.S. automaker did he take the suspense so long? Leaders from General Motors may have wanted to "play the show" and try to make a "coup" financially to the perseverance of Spyker. "Leaders from General Motors certainly want to prove before closing Saab, they did everything to find an alternative solution. General Motors wants to heal its image. "

A return announced by early next year by the president of General Motors, which follows the will of the American state to allow General Motors to stand on its own.For this, the automaker decided to get rid of a company "that has never made any money. The closure of Saab is proof that General Motors is not able to handle this kind of brand, "said one expert. To be continued.

The suspense was lifted on the eve of a meeting of oil cartel in Luanda. Abdallah el-Badri, secretary general of the organization, said Monday the consensus between the different member countries. An increase in OPEC production "is not in the radar" for next year, he also said, saying the current price levels were "very comfortable".

"Stocks (…) are a little high," then said Abdullah el-Badri, adding that the cartel, which is not less than 40% of world production, was to "bring them back to reasonable levels."

It has, finally, stressed the importance of meeting production quotas imposed on member countries. In late 2008, OPEC had agreed to remove the oil market 4.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to stem the collapse in oil prices which had touched $ 30 a barrel.In November, the 11 members bound by quotas (excluding Iraq) pumped 1.6 million bpd more than its official ceiling, according to the International Atomic Energy.

Become a registered "lifestyle" is the ambition of leaders Lacoste for years to come. To do this they have developed the part of accessories in the total turnover. Therefore, the parent company, S. A. Lacoste, who does nothing but manage the image of the brand, decided to resume late 2010 the license granted to the leather Samsonite American for eight years to tell his historical partner, the French industrial Devanlay.

Devanlay, 60% of sales by Lacoste, through the clothing of crocodile license. Since the beginning, these two companies through interlocking shareholdings (Devanlay has 35% of Lacoste and Lacoste 10% stake in Devanlay) work hand in hand.Their goal is to increase the share of leather goods from 4% to 8% of total sales within five years.

"While we have almost 4 000 references per year just in the textile, when we ask a client to appoint a product is always the same means we have work," says Jose – Luis Duran, CEO of Devanlay, where he arrived six months ago, after having been boss of Carrefour. Polo, founded in 1933, sold over 13 million copies a year worldwide. But it represents only 20% of the income of the mark (1.5 billion euros in total wholesale rate).

The crocodile is diversifying

Clothing, which weighed 85% of sales in 2000, none reported more than 60%.Meanwhile, footwear (20%), perfume (15%, produced by Procter & Gamble) or watches (5%) took off.

In total, Lacoste has granted nine licenses for specific product categories in different industries. Latest: mobile phones, the company entrusted with ModeLabs, the first model will come in six months. To develop leather, Devanlay created a joint venture with a French specialist sector Tolomei.

Lacoste plans to continue this diversification. "We are in constant reflection on these topics, explains Christophe Chenut, CEO of Lacoste S. A.We look at the world of home and decorating, mobility with electric bicycles or bikes, we've already made a limited number of strollers with McLaren in the United States, but these ideas must pass through many filters and answer a requirement of internationalization. Each license must also help us recruit and retain a new category of customers. "Bags were well designed to feminize a mark at three quarters male.

A first head of the FAO. He is a farmer and not least because it is the Vendee Guyau Luke, who was elected President of the United Nations Food and Agriculture. Currently a number of French Chambers of Agriculture (APCA), Luc Guyau gathered yesterday evening in Rome, 75 votes against 69 in Columbia Victor Charles Heard. The former president of the French Agricultural majority union, the FNSEA will tandem with Jacques Diouf, the current Director General of FAO. "By electing a farmer, the 190 member countries have expressed their gratitude to this profession that helps ensure a sufficient food supply and, thereby, the challenge of global food security," estimated the After the vote, Marie Besson, spokesman for the APCA. The challenge for Luke Guyau at FAO is huge while the number of hungry continues to grow.The organization does indeed more targets to reduce that number that exceeds a billion people.

"No numerical target for reducing world hunger