Alstom! President Nicolas Sarkozy will never tire of telling Sarkozy the Minister of Finance in 2004. Whoever saved Alstom decommissioning by the German Siemens. He never ceased to recall this episode, during countless visits to factories. It is true that the rescue of Alstom was the founding act of Sarkozy statist. Finally, more along the lines of Napoleon III and Saint-Simonian as laissez-faire and ultraliberalism which accused his opponents.

During the 2007 campaign, the candidate Sarkozy has never released this theme. He was seen walking the plant “more than all the candidates from left, like he repeats, in criticizing the years Jospin, when the Socialists attempted to explain that” the State can not do everything ” . This direct contact, rough, with workers in their production sites became “the” visual signature of the candidate in 2007, and the new president.

So much for the rhetoric and symbols. Regarding acts, the Elysee said that the States General of the industry are a step in a long list of initiatives that have already been implemented. Since four billion research tax credit (CIR) voted in 2007, affecting 80% industry, until the reform of business tax – offset by the Parliament – through the great debt, and creation of a Strategic Investment Fund (ISF), excluding the merger of GDF with Suez. Sarkozy believes that it has twice as hard on the industry since his election. And if the results are awaited crisis requires, the Elysee said that “for the first time, the market share of French exporters in the euro area began to recover after more than ten years of decline” payday advance lenders .

This intervention, he claims, is intended to continue and even increase. Because, says the head of state is what the public expects of him. The closure of the plant Gandrange folder in which he pledged personally, was not well received, even if the workers have been reclassified. Result, he does not hesitate to push his Minister of Industry, Christian Estrosi, nothing to loose on sensitive issues such as Molex, Heuliez or Philips. A few days ago, he also lobbied for Christophe de Margerie as Total – a group 100% private – do not touch its French refineries, but overcapacity.

The new milestone was reached Thursday: the reorganization of the state shareholder. More questions to leave as much freedom as before to companies in which the state has an interest.In announcing that henceforth, a representative of the Ministry of Industry or ministry will be named “systematically” the board – next to the administrator of the Agency for State Participation (EPA) — the message is clear: the state will no longer have eyes only on its financial business, he also wants a say on strategy. The Elysee said that this concerns mainly La Poste, France Telecom and Renault …. What could prevent future, Carlos Ghosn is urgently summoned to the Elysee when the guidelines that the CEO wants to take his automotive group is not to the liking of its largest shareholder …

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According to Mexican press, Vivendi and the Mexican group Televisa broadcasting are currently negotiating to bring candidates, common way for a new mobile phone license in Mexico, for an undisclosed amount. The announcement comes as the Mexican telecoms regulator, Cofetel, proposed on the market the equivalent of 120 MHz (Mega Hertz) frequency in the band 1.7 / 1.9 GHz (Giga Hertz). Your Shopping comments have yet been received from Vivendi.

The limit for submission of tenders is set for May 25 and the award (or) licenses is expected a month later. According to the press, Vivendi and Televisa will give until 15 February to agree this.

Latin America in the collimator

After Africa, so it is that Latin America is covered by the French group.Already, Vivendi, winning the battle against the Spanish giant Telefonica to afford GVT (2.8 billion euros), has offered to pass a strong position in the region.

Mexico and its 110 million inhabitants currently host three large operators, Telcel and Movistar in mind. "The penetration of mobile phones in Mexico is higher than 70%," says an analyst specializing in the field.

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This is the first assessment scales introduced by the radio in the fall. Médiamétrie released Wednesday morning its survey 126 000 Radio for the month of September-October 2009. He confirmed the number one place to RTL, which has nevertheless decreased by 0.4 point to 11.8% of total audience.

But it's really the battle for second place that seems to organize. France Inter, who had claimed the second step to NRJ end of last season, confirmed its position to 10.2% of total audience. First musical France, NRJ now meets 10% of total audience (0.4 points). Declining for several surveys, the station has improved its hearing on the morning, confided in September, Nikos Aliagas. Behind her, Europe is 1 in ambush. Radio generalist group Lagardere rose 0.2 points to 9.7% of total audience.Only 176 000 listeners still separate from the third radio France.

But the largest gains accrue to the general RMC and France Bleu, which rose by 0.6 point to 6.5% reach and 0.7 points to 6.9% of total audience.

The real surprises are in store on the side of music. Long condemned by listening on digital platforms like Deezer, stations that have chosen specific themes are likely to have stabilized or improved their hearing. Fun Radio, specializing in dance, and gaining 0.4 points to 7.2% of the audience, Skyrock, rap station and R'nB, nothing dropped 7.6% of its audience. The musical adult NRJ, Cherie FM (+0.4), Nostalgia (-0.1) and Rire et Chansons (0.5) also take their pin gameOnly the style pop-rock has not yet managed to transform the test: RTL 2 fell by 0.4 points, Virgin Radio (Lagardère) dropped 1.2 points.

Not that Renault suffering in Russia. The French retailer Carrefour, the world, announced Thursday its intention to sell its activities in Russia "in the absence of sufficient growth prospects." Carrefour is present in Russia since 2008 and operates two supermarkets in Moscow and Krasnodar, the statement said.

Carrefour had last week denied press reports that he was considering "the sale of its business in growth markets," noting that Brazil and China in particular remained a priority.The daily Le Monde had said that "the sale of implantations in Latin America" was "seriously considered a track" and the "bulk sale of emerging countries," the newspaper had mentioned initially, was "dismissed".

This will leave the Russian market comes as Carrefour announced disappointing sales in the third quarter. Lars Olofsson had not hidden earlier this week that the situation was difficult in a Interveiw The Wall Street Journal.

Indeed, the turnover of the group is down, but the group was "on track to achieve the 2009 targets."Operating profit before non-recurring items would still be in the lower range of 2.7 to 2.8 billion euros announced June 30

In the third quarter, the group recorded a turnover of 24.018 billion euros, down 3.8% in comparable stores, slightly less than expected by analysts (24.29 billion euros average).

Gain market share

In a statement, Lars Olofsson, the CEO of Carrefour, said that "in an environment that remains challenging, particularly in our markets of Western Europe, (the group) continues to gain market share in France, reflecting the success of Carrefour Market, which compensates for the disappointing performance of hypermarkets in the third quarter.

Carrefour reiterated its priorities for 2009 to invest 600 million euros to support sales and market share and reach at least 500 million of savings in operational costs.

In France, sales between June and September were down 4.2% in comparable stores to 10.400 billion euros (10.398 million consensus) with 5.292 billion euros in hypermarkets a decrease of 8% in comparable stores. Supermarket sales rose 1% to 2.292 million. In the hard discount they show a decrease of 7% on a comparable basis to 641 million.

Moreover, the group plans to change the pattern of its hypermarkets. According to the site of Les Echos, William Vicar will replace Alain Souillard, less than two years after his appointment as head of the 200 stores of the French number two worldwide distribution.

Internationally, Carrefour has achieved in Western Europe a turnover of 6.346 billion (-6.5%) while they increased in Latin America by 5% in the third quarter same-store sales at 3.368 billion. In Brazil, they rose by 14.2% at constant exchange rates, of which 3.9% in comparable stores. In Asia the turnover has however declined by 6.4% to 1.787 million in the third quarter.

The Industry Minister has detailed a series of measures that could change the face of French industry at the opening of the Estates General, which meet from today the industry representatives and social partners. He said hoped "that we study the financial and tax help for the relocation of production facilities and R & D". Christian Estrosi said that this "could take the form of premiums for relocation financed by the state variables at amounts of investment and number of jobs re-created. For example, the Minister cited the automotive supplier Ghent, which brought the activities of Romania to the Vosges.

However, Claude Miserey, Vice-President of the French Union of the Clothing Industry, said for his part that "it's not because we're going to reward our textile industries will begin to relocate, why should significantly reduce payroll taxes for production in France again become competitive. "

Aids for companies with fewer than 100 employees

Christian Estrosi has also proposed developing "a model of cooperative enterprise in which employees have majority ownership, a measure especially designed for businesses with fewer than 100 employees. In addition, the Minister mentioned the track "innovation tax credit, which would complement the existing research tax credit to help the innovative company after the filing of patent and until the launch of production.Other track: minister said he would "consider the implementation of green subsidized loans for the benefit of investment in industrial processes more environmentally friendly."

The estates will be developed around three pillars: a "national focus, with the establishment of a committee" called "CNEGI (National Committee of the General Industry), a" regional focus ", with the organization of workshops in the regions, and a "participatory axis, via a website. The themes will be related to innovation, the "policy networks", "employment and training", "competitiveness and green growth" and "access to finance.Up to € 15,000 per job in France repatriated Specifically, companies, small or large, can benefit from a support mechanism whose details remain to be determined but will take into account several factors including geographic location, the amount of investment and the number of jobs relocated. "It will be a variable premium and no tax credit. This will obviously give and take," said one expert dossier. The company wishing to relocate part of its activities will be most helped if she settled into a disadvantage. Experts estimate that the amount of aid will be between 10,000 and 15,000 euros per job. This amount will likely be added to other premiums. The number of jobs that companies with foreign parties could relocate in France is still difficult to assess.According to recent experiences, the Department estimates that on average a year, French companies could result in such incentives to repatriate a thousand jobs a month. Several companies have recently set the example, the company Vosges Ghent (Europe's leading metal mechanics and perforated fabric) has reported its machines from two sites in Romania. "We expect that the crisis subsides to make the hires," says a spokesman. In the world of optics, Atol relocated in 2005 a portion of its production previously done in China, for example, be more responsive to the request of its customers. Relocation may also have commercial benefits