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The government deficit in France in 2013 is forecast at 3.9% of gross domestic product (GDP), far from the 3% target set by the government, according to forecasts biannual International Monetary Fund (IMF) published today.

This year, the deficit would reach 4.6%, says the IMF, against 4.4% in commitment from France to its European partners.

In its "Monitor of public finances", the IMF predicts that France approaches the symbolic threshold of 3% in 2014, with a year behind the official schedule. These projections mean that the next president, whoever he is, will soon adopt a new fiscal tightening after the election of May 6 Indeed, the president-candidate Nicolas Sarkozy and his Socialist rival Francois Hollande, the poll favorite, have both pledged to cut the deficit to 3% in 2013.

For its part, the public debt of France is expected to increase next year the symbolic threshold of 90% of GDP to 90.8%, while all candidates hope to contain it to below this threshold. It would commence thereafter a slow reflux.

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The giant Danish DFDS and the French Louis Dreyfus (LDA), owner of LD Lines, have finally announced the birth of their joint venture that will operate five ferry routes between France and England (Dover-Dunkerque Dover- Calais, Portsmouth to Le Havre, Dieppe, New Haven) and between France and Tunisia (Tunis-Marseille). LD Lines line between Saint-Nazaire and Gijon, Spain will not belong to the joint venture.

Last year, the two partners were involved in a bid to take over Sea France, the SNCF subsidiary whose termination of service was delivered in January. But the offer was violently rejected by the unions.

1160 employees in 2013

Since LD Lines, in partnership with the Danish DFDS, has two ships on the Dover-Calais line, previously operated by Sea France no teletrack payday loan. This is a new step, predictable, but that was difficult or impossible to implement at the time of the attempted rescue of Sea France.

The joint venture will be owned by DFDS 82% and 18% by LDA. Officially launched on July 1, she will manage nine ships. DFDS those under the British flag and those of LD Lines under the French flag. "It is not intended eventually to operate under a single flag, says Christophe Santoni, the CEO of LD Lines. For reasons of social or commercial, we retain the two pavilions. "In 2013, the ferry company expects to achieve a turnover of 276 million euros. It will employ 1160 people in total.

 

Apple plays spoilsport. Tuesday night, while most manufacturers of tablets showed their latest Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​the media were invited to attend the following week, the launch of the next iPad from San Francisco.

For four days, the electronics giants have yet done everything to make us forget the iPad and mark their difference. Two of them, Samsung and LG, have chosen to deliver their new tablets with a stylus, following HTC, which was launched in the last year in this niche. This accessory, which allows you to write or draw and more accurately on the screen, is rejected by Apple, who believes only the touch screen.

Much of the Samsung booth and was dedicated to the Galaxy Score, available in two versions. The smallest, launched in October, is midway between the tablet and smartphone (screen 5.3 inches diagonally) and can act as telephone. The new model, twice as large (10.1 inches), is a format closer to the iPad. Samsung will install software specifically developed for the stylus and a suite of creative software designed by Adobe.

LG, whose stand was a short walk from the Samsung, also gave a large place with a touch pad accompanied by a stylus. Also able to act as a (big) phone, the LG Vu takes a screen in 4/3 assumed to be more enjoyable to read books or magazines. Initially sold in South Korea, it will come with tools for professionals, facilitating note taking and annotation of web pages.

No innovation in displays

Apple's other competitors, who have not succumbed to the fashion of the stylus, for their part have chosen to focus on the graphics power against the iPad fast cash advance. Chinese Huawei and ZTE, prominent during the Barcelona show, presented every two shelves featuring quad-core chips, twice the current iPad. Asus has preferred him with originality Padphone, a laptop that can turn into a tablet or smartphone.

During the show, no manufacturer has, however, ventured into the field of screen resolution, where the iPad 3 is highly anticipated. The new Apple tablet should indeed be able to display twice as many pixels on the same surface, and achieve the same quality as the high-end smartphones. This type of screen, says "Retina display", is more complicated to produce, and therefore more expensive. It could cause supply problems iPad 3, as the site DigiTimes.

Apple's competitors have proposed no major advances in the software. They are in fact dependent on advances of Android, they do not control development. However, the system suffers from a lack of applications and is not yet as attractive as in smartphones, has recognized the head of mobile at Google, Andy Rubin. In two years he has sold 12 million Android tablets, against 50 million iPad. To reverse the trend, Google wants to encourage developers to write software compatible with all types of screens.

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The tension is still up a notch on the site ArcelorMittal Florange in Moselle. About 300 steelworkers blocked since Thursday morning the release of shipments of the site for the restart of two blast furnaces, at a standstill for several months. At a central works council (CEC), management has confirmed the arrest of these furnaces in the second quarter. She said it was a "temporary suspension" and that the situation for the third quarter would be considered "in the month of May." The group, which invokes a slowdown in demand, provides a target restart facilities "as soon as market conditions permit".

Far from being reassured, the unions are convinced that management has signed the "death warrant" of Lorraine site, with imports of Russian steel to fuel its business outside furnaces.

"The management was committed to restarting our blast furnaces if Dunkirk was unable to feed, here, in steel," the mill hot strip mill, which produces steel for automotive technology, said Edward Martin , responsible CFDT. "And now she announces in CEC purchase of 60,000 tons of metal" to a "competitor" Russian laments there. Broccoli for Walter, FO, this purchase "constitutes an admission that Florange not restart."

According to management, 500 employees of ArcelorMittal are affected by the shutdown of blast furnaces, the other 2300 employees working on site production tools downstream. "We try to find a solution for each employee" affected, said Hervé Bourrier, CEO for France.

 

The 200 high school students Guillaume Apollinaire, Thiais, Bossuet at Meaux and Turgot in Paris are attentive. They participate in the third Foundation Forum Responsible growth, on globalization and increased competitiveness of France.

Students and teachers were involved in discussions of the working group chaired by Benoît Habert, Deputy Director General of the Dassault Group. A dozen celebrities, including Denis Kessler, CEO of Scor, Jean-Louis Beffa, chairman of honor of Saint-Gobain, Michel Camdessus, former IMF chief, Henri Guaino, special adviser to the president, were interviewed . "Globalization is. It is binding on us. We must adapt, "says a student of Turgot. "Companies do not take enough young alternately. Quotas should be established, "lamented a student of Guillaume Apollinaire.

"We have focused our thinking on improving the competitiveness of the nation and the attention paid to youth. We selected ten proposals that meet three criteria: be applicable across France, presenting a highly leveraged and have a low or no cost, "explained Christian Poyau, Foundation President Responsible Growth, and Benoît Habert , Chairman of the Working Group.

The Foundation recommends that the fight against illiteracy, which affects 20% of French 15 years, a national cause. She wants to develop proficiency in English for age groups entering the labor market by 2020. She favors a reduction of social security the first two years of first use. "The charges would be eliminated in the first year and reduced by 50% the second year. This could be financed by a puncture of the tax shelter on overtime, "say members of the working group.

National Loan

Other tracks are made for improving the competitiveness of France, as the issue of a national loan of more than 100 billion euros in return for a commitment on the golden rule in 2014. The state may borrow only to invest in the economy. Responsible Growth also advocates a reduction in labor costs by funding lower payroll taxes by half for the 50% increase in the rate of VAT and half by the efficiencies of the social model.

Decided to develop links with Education, Responsible Growth Friday sign a partnership agreement with the three academies in the Ile-de-France (Paris, Versailles, Créteil) so that teachers teaching in colleges and high schools and guidance counselors can do internships in companies of all sizes and all sectors. A hundred of them, including the Figaro Group, supporting the initiative.

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Creditor banks in Greece will have to accept losses "substantial" in the new bailout of the country, warned Saturday that the European Ministers of Finance. Last night, the central bankers of the euro zone had "agreed to say that we had to have a substantial increase in the contribution of banks" in the form of a depreciation of their claims, said the leader of European finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker.

According to diplomatic sources, the ministers agreed to effectively negotiate with the banks at a discount of "at least 50%" against a target of 21% decided on July 21 with the banking sector. They thus de facto endorsed the conclusions of an expert report which was presented by the troika of donor funds in Greece (EU, ECB and IMF).The paper believes that a discount of 50 or 60% hope to stabilize Greece without having to increase in the amount of gigantic international loans that have already been promised.

A "discount" is the term used in relation to the financial depreciation of the value of loans taken by creditors in this case private banks and investment funds that hold government debt. A discount of 50% borne by the private sector, the second program of financial support pledged July 21 to Greece, however, should be slightly revised upwards with government loans (Europe and IMF) to 114 billion euros, against 109 billion euros.To maintain the envelope of 109 billion euros unchanged, it would bring the discount to 60%, according to calculations by experts.

• Banks recapitalized to the tune of 100 billion euros

The question is whether the banks that have so far dragged its feet to give the pot, will accept a negotiated settlement does not pass through a default of Greece said "messy" serious consequences. "It's a negotiation s'entame," said Didier Reynders, Belgian Finance Minister, before a meeting with his colleagues throughout the European Union on Saturday. These discussions, held in Brussels with representatives of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), the banking lobby, "still, there is no agreement yet," said a source told AFP familiar with the matter.

In return for the effort required on the Greek claims, it is intended to recapitalize European banks to the tune of nearly 100 billion euros. The subject was Saturday in the agenda of the ministerial meeting. According to sources cited by Reuters, an agreement in principle was reached by European finance ministers on the recapitalization. European diplomats interviewed by AFP were less categorical in the late afternoon. "There is no agreement on the recapitalization, it gets stuck a little." According to one of these diplomatic sources, "Spain insists on having a comprehensive, not only on the recapitalization of banks but also on strengthening the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF). " On the other hand, "the ministers are trying to agree on the minimum capital."

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has proposed that banks reach a level of capital of 9% by mid-2012. A diplomat acknowledged that some countries in the viewfinder of the markets, like Italy, Spain or Portugal, feared that the recapitalization will further undermine public finances.

• The Fund will not support a bank

Moreover, the French proposal to grant a banking license to the Fund support the euro area (EFSF) so he can refinance with the European Central Bank "is no longer on the table," said Minister Dutch Finance Jan Kees de Jager. Only two options are being discussed to increase the firepower of the device, he told reporters Saturday.These two tracks on the agenda now that the mechanism acts as a partial insurance of the public debt of countries in difficulty or higher participation of the IMF to the device, according to a German government source. But there is "significant differences between countries" on the issue, said Jan Kees de Jager.

How to leverage the capacity of the EFSF was the main sticking point between Berlin and Paris at the approach of the EU summit. France, worried about its budget deficit and are "triple AAA" prefer tap into the existing European funds, starting with the ECB. Germany, also sensitive to the separation of powers as inflation risks, refuses anything resembling a crisis by printing money in Europe.France was not only to advocate the involvement of the ECB, arguing that this system worked very well in the United States or Great Britain. She was supported by Spain, Italy or Belgium.

The European Relief Fund currently has a lending capacity of 440 billion euros, part of which is already committed for Ireland and Portugal. This envelope is considered insufficient to prevent contagion of the debt crisis in countries as large as Italy and Spain, increasingly in the firing line of credit rating agencies.European countries negotiate so hard for weeks on the best way, via a "leverage" to multiply by up to five response capacity of the Fund's financial debt of fragile countries.

(With agencies)

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Sharp put on Orange and the French market to go back to the conquest of Europe. France is deemed to be the European country most fond of new technologies. What motivated this choice. The Aquos is available in Orange stores and online from October 6. It should be available from 199 euros (with an offer to pay 100 euros) with a subscription Origami Star 3 hours (59 euros per month). Without a subscription, it is much more expensive: 639 euros.

Delicate challenge

For Sharp, the bet is tricky. This is not to be the nth smartphone in the European market, running Android market segment dominated by Korean and Chinese brands. To differentiate themselves, the Japanese put on the 3D display of the phone. While it is the third, after LG and HTC to offer a device with such a characteristic. But only the Aquos almost instantly converts 2D images into 3D.It is also equipped with two optical, which can take photos or videos in 3D and then watch them on their smartphone, or share them on other screens in relief.

Abandonment of the shelf

On a strategic decision to Sharp raises some questions. The brand has announced the abandonment of its shelf Galapagos there just two weeks. But it also reflects the key role of the smartphone market for players in consumer electronics. To exist, they can not do without. Even if only a very symbolic presence. Orange has only ordered 10,000 copies of the Aquos, probably made prudent by the very small success of the 3D Optimus LG and HTC Evo 3D. Sharp will make us forget the bad reputation of free 3D, even on small screen, according to users, giving a headache and seasickness

Germany "means that Greece is a member of the euro area", reaffirmed on Monday a spokesman for the Ministry of Economy … who quickly added that Athens was coupled with the necessary reforms "loosely controlled". A phrase that sums up how Berlin is losing patience.

An internal document in German Ministry of Finance, taken by the newspaper Handelsblatt, illustrates the degradation of the opinion of the Germans against the Greeks: "The Government will further Papandreou promised much to its partners, to access a new tranche of credit, but it will not happen, "it said. And his conclusion is clear: Germany is preparing seriously to stop helping Athens.

In fact, Berlin is now considering a very real insolvency of Greece.Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble is no longer small sentences like this weekend when it was hammered out of the question to continue paying for Greece as it does not fulfill the conditions set by its creditors.

The post-bankruptcy in the study

In gray and cream long corridors of the Ministry of Wilhelmstrasse, the teams of the latter were already working on the management of post-bankruptcy. According to Spiegel, two scenarios are discussed – the output of Pure and simple in the euro area. The Department neither confirms nor denies. But in an article published yesterday, the Minister of Economy, Philipp Rösler, openly spoke of a possible bankruptcy of Greece.

Yet next scene, the CDU denies pessimism. For the president of the parliamentary group in the Bundestag Volker Kauder, "an exit from the euro area is not a solution."The party's general secretary, Hermann Grohe, Cassandra pin that inflame the debate: "We need to encourage the Greeks. We help are people in this way. "

Chancellor Angela Merkel sticks, meanwhile, delivered the remarks Sunday in an interview with the daily Tagesspiegel, saying that one can not "fix overnight what is not done for years" . On Monday, after his meeting with José Manuel Barroso, it simply just a terse statement on the importance of the euro.But if his spokesman said that the government's official position is to rely on the conclusions of the troika (EU-IMF-ECB), which experts arrive Wednesday in Greece for a thorough audit, he added that Germany Greece would not help that "in very strict conditions."

Ruling coalition isolated

Within the ruling coalition in Berlin, the Christian Democrats are isolated. The brothers enemies of Free Democrats and the Bavarian CSU common cause. When Philipp Rösler, also chairman of the FDP and thus vice-chancellor, said that one should "refrain from further consider an orderly insolvency of Greece", the patron of Christian social applauds Horst Seehofer, "content that these thoughts are expressed out loud. "

The CSU has also adopted an important resolution yesterday internally.In fifteen pages, it will detail the conditions it deems necessary to accept in the future to vote on plans to assist countries in need. It says this sentence murders: "States which are not able to stick to common rules, and put the euro area in difficulty should expect to leave the currency area." In Germany, the time of indulgence is over.

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"If a new outbreak of disease occurs tomorrow in Kenya and Mexico, what should be the response of a health minister? Doing nothing is obviously wrong, decide the day after the onset of the disease in this country to immunize all the French media is not a point of view of our public finances. " Any resemblance to a situation that existed would not be purely coincidental …

Less than two years after the vaccination campaign against influenza A (H1N1) from Asia, which cost 700 million euros to the state (France had ordered 94 million doses before returning to 45 million for … that finally only 5.3 million French people to get vaccinated) is the illustration chosen Monday by the Director General of the Center for Strategic Analysis (CAS), Vincent Chriqui, at the outset of a study on the "calculation of risk in public investments. "Purpose of this report, led by Christian Gollier, head of the Toulouse School of Economics: to show that it is possible to take into account the risk and uncertainty before launching expensive projects.

"A position of equilibrium"

For this, the document recommends "a balancing of possible or probable gains with losses likely, or unlikely but possible" (sic)! Concrete expression to this current example chosen by Vincent Chriqui: "The catastrophe of Fukushima reminds us how the apprehension of risk and its assessment is an essential component of a public investment program."

Take into account not only the approach of the engineer, doctor, biologist or climatologist, but also that of the economist.The report stresses the importance of considering cost-benefit, cost utility and cost-effectiveness and integration of risk in the economic calculation. CAS advocates actually define rules that would result in "a position of balance" between spending and risk reduction. It offers among others a "mainstream" risks in the economic evaluation of investment projects in fields as diverse as new drugs, transport infrastructure and energy production or the urbanization of areas exposed to natural hazards …

It is "necessary" to take into account the benefit that a project can bring to the community risks associated with climate change, changes in oil prices, economic growth, the report says.It should, for example, remember that oil prices could rise in coming decades, when evaluating the benefit of a railway line.

The report also introduce a "risk premium" in the calculations when the fundamentals of a project are strongly correlated to economic activity. This would in some downgrade in the order of priorities "to guide public policies for projects that reduce the risks borne by households."

The Center for Strategic neglects, however, in size: large investments must be decided according to their degree of economic rationality, certainly, but also political choices or ethical. They can even be taken under the fear of lawsuits.This is precisely what has weighed against influenza A: After the tragedies of contaminated blood or the heat, the top priority policy was that the French can not blame them for not being vaccinated when they wished.

What do you think this initiative by the British retailer Tesco in South Korea, which allows customers to shop in the subway?

It is first and foremost a marketing coup. Tesco is thus found in a modern day, is displayed at the forefront of latest technological innovations. It is a showcase, which due to its exceptional side, can promote the brand in the world, not just in Korea-du-Sud. For convenience, I do not think waiting for a subway train is the best space-time to go shopping …Ultimately, this may be convenient for some occasional purchases, but we will not fill his cart with 50 products in virtual stroll along a crowded dock.

In its promotional video, the retailer is betting to develop without physical opening of hypermarkets, while stating that fill his truck is increasingly seen as a chore …

True, but again, the subway is not a place suited to supply his larder. On the other hand, we can already go shopping on the subway-or any other place, using a smartphone connected to the Internet. Some retailers have already launched e-commerce applications that allow specific to shop and have them delivered at home.The American distribution, for example Amazon gives this possibility to its customers.

However, can we imagine the future of virtual supermarkets to open in place of traditional retailers? This would help retailers to make significant savings on logistics …

Shopping with a mobile scanning cryptograms is not really practical! And if so, what is the point to go to the store, then you can order from home via e-commerce sites? However, distributors do seek how to take advantage of m-commerce [trade through mobile, note] no fax pay day loan. Some think, for example at the opening of showrooms to boast a handful of new products, which could include purchase and take delivery via a smartphone.But this type of project is still in the pipeline.

What tomorrow will look like m-commerce in the distribution?

Initiatives will gradually emerge. The advantage of m-commerce is that you can set up "stimuli" throughout the city, like some promotional posters in the subway showing visual cryptograms. Once registered via a smartphone, they can learn about the offer, or buy the product directly boasted. But we must not forget that everyone does not have a smartphone in France *, unlike South Korea where the penetration rate is much higher.This is particularly the reason why this country is the world leader on the development of e-commerce and multichannel distribution, based on the joint development of natural supermarkets and online offerings.

* Nearly one in three French (31.2%) have a smartphone, according to figures published in March 2011 Médiamétrie.

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