Between austerity and growth, Spain and Portugal chose austerity. The two countries have had the opportunity on Wednesday to position themselves on the subject after the election in France of Francois Hollande. Met yesterday in Porto at the twenty-fifth summit Iberian, the two heads of executive kept intact their desire to fulfill their goals of rigor.

The Spaniard Mariano Rajoy and the Portuguese Pedro Passos Coelho spoke with one voice. Asked about the possibility of surrendering to 2014 – instead of 2013 – the target of increasing the public deficit below 3% of GDP, the Spanish prime minister responded without ambiguity. "The debate is not how to relax the requirements, but how to respect our commitments," said Rajoy. "Do not spend what we do not have is a good policy, he said. Spain signed the pact budget and considers it to be maintained. "

Structural reforms

Passos Coelho has said the same direction. Portugal depends on the conditions of a European aid plan, said the Prime Minister, and "if it fails to meet its objectives, it will engage with a new plan that will be more expensive, longer and more expensive socio-economic terms. Nobody wants that. "

The design of the growth of the two leaders did not have much to do with the defenders of the stimulus. "We run growth policies in Europe and in our country, argued the Spanish head of government. We adopt structural reforms that take effect in the medium and long term. "

Since taking office four months ago, Rajoy flexibilized labor law, encouraged bank mergers and generalized rigor. Passos Coelho also expressed the way forward: "We can not grow if the debt is unsustainable, he thought. Fiscal restraint is the first step of a return to growth. "

Only concession to the stimulus, the role given to the European Investment Bank. "We defend the idea of ​​reinforcing the EIB to take into account SMEs and micro-businesses," said Passos Coelho well.

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Minister of Industry, José Manuel Soria, foreign affairs, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, through the CEO of Repsol, Antonio Brufau is a general mobilization in Madrid. Since the announcement Monday night from the expropriation of the group YPF, Repsol's subsidiary in Argentina, the Spanish government officials and oil company's succession of television sets in press conferences to express their anger.

Because even if it concerns also international investors, largely present in the capital of Repsol YPF, the coup of President Cristina Kirchner is lived in Madrid as an affront to the country. "A decision against the interests of Spain and Spaniards," says Soria. It must be said that YPF is the crown jewel of Repsol. The Argentine subsidiary to the parent provides half of the production of hydrocarbons (or 459,000 barrels per day), 40% of its reserves and a third of its gross profit. Repsol, the coup, wants to pay a high price Buenos Aires: Antonio Brufau requires 8 billion euros in compensation for the 57.4% stake in Spanish oil YPF.

"A very bad signal"

For now, Spain brandished the threat of retaliation, without elaborating. Minister Soria evokes "the consequences of different fields: diplomatic, commercial, and industrial energy." Europe is united with Madrid. The head of European diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, denounces "a very bad signal" sent by Argentina to foreign investors and warned that Brussels is studying all options instant payday loan.

Beyond the rhetorical threats, what are the real possibilities of retaliation? Specifically, Madrid remains an important outlet for Buenos Aires. Spain imports twice what it exports to Argentina. In 2011, Spaniards bought 2.01 billion euros of products to Argentina and that they have sold 1 billion. Chemicals, raw materials, intermediate products as well as fruits, vegetables, fish and seafood are among the goods most in demand in Spain.

"Legal uncertainty" in Argentina

Repsol also is not the only company of Spanish origin present in Argentina. In energy, construction and banks, the Spanish groups have settled in Buenos Aires and the rest of the country. Gas Natural has reached such an EBITDA of 27 million euros last year. Santander and BBVA, the two giants of Spanish bank, achieved respectively 5.36% and 5.22% of their net profits in Argentina. Telefonica de Argentina, finally, achieved a turnover of more than 3 billion euros, thanks to its 24,000 employees in Argentina.

For now, the 400 Spanish companies are located low profile. Spanish executives point out, the image of Gas Natural, "the excellent relations with the Argentine government." But on condition of anonymity, officials complain in the Spanish press of the "legal uncertainty" that takes place in Argentina.

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Nicolas Sarkozy Knights principle of rent. Asked about the German model in this regard, the president candidate is that this is "a good idea." "I take it back. It does not block the rent but a framework. This is why it is interesting. I will apply, "he vowed in an interview published Monday in Current Woman.

In the mouth of the president candidate, unless the idea is new in that it looks. On 2 February, he said already "think" in a measure inspired by the German model. Across the Rhine, a tenant can attack the homeowner if the rent is 20% higher than the market price. The entourage of Nicolas Sarkozy said he had not yet decided the question whether, in France, the initiative would be left to the tenant as in Germany or if the 20% ceiling would be required automatically to owners.

At the campaign headquarters of Nicolas Sarkozy, it ensures that the President-candidate has not changed sides. Is depressed and the socialist proposal: "This is a measure similar to the 1948 Act (the rent freeze) and it is not the German system," argued an associate of the president candidate quoted by Reuters. "What is a priority for us is not to discourage the development of housing supply, that would surely cause a rent freeze," he added.

"Everything and its opposite"

Francois Hollande camp was quick to qualify this statement of complete reversal. "On housing, Nicolas Sarkozy has said anything and everything in five years. After the 'all owners' roadmap of its policy since 2007, he rediscovered that there are tenants in France, they pay rents too expensive and they live badly, "reacted Repentin Thierry, head of the pole housing and urban policy team of the socialist candidate.

The program promises Francois Hollande "by law to oversee the amounts of rent for the first rental or relocation" in areas where prices are "excessive." But little else. Prices are set by local observatories rents and leases new concern. Especially, the measure would be "transitory", until the market relaxes, explains Thierry Repentin in the newspaper Le Monde on Saturday.

Friday, the benchmark rents (IRL) has increased by 2.24% yoy in the first quarter 2012, slightly less than inflation (2.3% yoy in March). Homeowners can increase to the same extent the rents of their tenants during the lease. However, the Observatory Clamor noted a slight drop in rents charged to new tenants (-0.1%).

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While Germany has recovered its investment before the crisis of 2008, the French business leaders remain on the defensive. According to a study by the credit insurer Euler Hermes from 1684 businesses for the periods May 2011-September 2011 and November 2011-January 2012, a third of companies have stopped their investment in the second half of 2011. Small companies doing less than 4 million, including retail trade, are particularly affected. The lack of visibility is the main reason. "A fog effect resulted in a sharp decline in investment decisions and the quality of investment deteriorates," said Ludovic Subran, chief economist at Euler Hermes.

All sectors have reacted the same way. "45% of service companies have decided to halt their investments regardless of their size. Conversely, the food industry – particularly large – were able to hold their own game: + 8% investment rate compared to the average of other sectors. This can be explained by the fact that they export more, "says Ludovic Subran.

Uncertainty on taxation

The gloom has also dictated the attitude of two thirds of enterprises which increased their capital spending last year compared to 2010. They did so because they had invested in the first half and could no longer freeze spending in the second half.

The trend remains the same for this year. Only a quarter of French companies expected to increase their investment spending. Wait-they do not invest in new markets or improve their research, but to renew their equipment or to retrofit. "Companies are very concerned," says Ludovic Sénécaut, France region responsible Euler Hermes. It is true that business prospects are not encouraging. Euler Hermes is forecasting growth of 0.4% this year. Uncertainties about the evolution of taxation in the aftermath of the presidential election are high. "Our growth will suffer austerity plans of other countries as well as historic highs in terms of savings and unemployment impacting the consumer," says Ludovic Sénécaut. The credit insurer expects a 4% increase in business failures expected to affect 63,500 businesses.

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Against finance, but not against the big bosses. The Socialist candidate for president, Francois Hollande, has reassured business leaders of the CAC 40, in an interview in Paris Matchpubliée Thursday. He was lampooned in mid-February, their salary increases "of 36% on average in 2010."

As we approach the elections, it has softened its tone. "We will need all the forces for the country's recovery. Therefore, in the aftermath of the presidential election, I will convene the CAC 40 companies, although many of their leaders will not vote for me, he says. I tell them: "You are the spearhead of the French economy. We need you and you need the state. We face together the challenge of recovery of France "."

The Socialist candidate was told by the president of MEDEF, Laurence Parisot, France 2 on Thursday, that the vocation of the employers' association was "to work with any government whatever." Tenors Socialist Party had in fact accused of campaigning for the incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy free business cards.

Francois Hollande tried several times to reassure the campaign finance and management. Visiting London, and then he gave himself to enemy "the world of finance," he said at the City he was not "aggressive" and that n ' there was "nothing to fear" if elected.

Still, the Socialist candidate wants to increase the effective tax rate of 35% in large groups and, among other things, against the practice of stock options. "France seems to bring out the multinationals," said Denis Kessler, CEO of Scor, quoted by The Economist. For the second consecutive week, the weekly British Liberal lampooned the socialist project to tax at 75% marginal bracket the higher incomes of over one million euros.

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"The fight against unemployment: what the candidates propose PRESIDENTIAL Thurs: >> Each week, discover the secrets of candidates

New stage in the case of illegal surveillance of employees and customers to Ikea in France. The former head of the French subsidiary of the manufacturer of the Swedish furniture giant and a former director of human resources have been "laid off for the duration of investigations," today announced to AFP the current director General, Stefan Vanoverbeke. The two former leaders will have to "cooperate with the authorities."

In addition, two experts from the National Commission on Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) arrived this morning at the offices of Ikea stores Paris-Nord. Came to inspect the computers and other databases, they are seeking internal documents, including letters attesting espionage practices that would prevail in Ikea France.

These practices were revealed by The Chained Duck which reported information obtained from employees and customers with information stolen from the police file Stic. Wednesday again, the satirical weekly publishes new copies of emails that show that these practices were known by several senior executives, contrary to what the management of the subsidiary. Since the publication of the charges, Ikea France has stated its commitment to "respect for privacy." As proof of his good faith, the group has made available to justice, as part of the preliminary inquiry last Thursday, its Director of Risk, Jean-Francois Paris, presented as the architect of these operations flicage.

Several controlled stores

Now, according to The Chained Duck, the "dress cut by Ikea" to the department head may be "a little wide." Several e-mails containing information to illegal recipients had the recruiting officer at headquarters, the deputy finance director, customer relations officer, the director general and human resources. Drug use by a client and is mentioned, as the lifestyle estimated too high of an employee. Monday, the news site Mediapart also published letters exchanged in 2008 between Jean-Francois Paris, Jean-Louis Baillot, the CEO of Ikea France until, in 2009, and the HR manager Claire Hery on the case part of a group suspected of abusing sick leave to stay in Morocco.

According to an inside source, "the CNIL has primarily moved this morning to see if information about the staff had been stored." Experts have also performed the same checks yesterday in another store in the Paris region.

Asked by The Chained Duck, and this morning by AFP, management has stated that it was at the beginning of its internal investigation. Meanwhile, the security manager has been suspended "to protect", and private phone. The person feels about himself "betrayed by those who, for years, urged the inquiries of all kinds," says one of his friends. North of Paris to the store, it was confirmed that the pressure on employees is permanent. This morning, break room, the publication of new mail was in every conversation.

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In 2012, Nexter account renew contracts with major exports. "The European markets are marked by sluggish because of difficult budget choices. But outside Europe, they are active. Equipment requirements are important in the segment of armored 20 to 30 tons where each tender involves several hundred vehicles, "said Philippe Burtin Wednesday, CEO of Nexter, the leading French land defense equipment. "We have many pending cases. We submitted 210 bids in 2011, twice more than in 2010, "he says. In Canada, where he is competing with the armored combat vehicle and infantry (VBCI) to provide 138 armored (30 optional) to the Army, Ottawa's decision is expected this summer.

Other prospects are in his sights. Nexter plans to meet next week, at the tender launched by the giant United Arab Emirates (UAE) to supply 700 armored vehicles as part of an industrial cooperation agreement hitherto unprecedented in the Middle East . The winner will create a joint venture owned 51% by Tawazun, a subsidiary of UAE sovereign fund Mubadala. She will be in charge of production and integration of vehicles on site. Since the late 2000s, the UAE say their growing desire to develop high technology industries in order to prepare the post-oil.

Local partnerships

After the aircraft maintenance and aviation-Mubadala has formed a partnership in 2008 with Airbus to manufacture composite fuselage parts in a factory in Al-Ain Abu Dhabi wants to develop its own arms industry land. "We are responding to this offer with interest and caution as this joint venture will be called upon to produce armored close to ours that were intended to be marketed in other countries in the region," Philippe Burtin develops that competes with the VBCI.

In the region, hopes to sign Nexter other equipment contracts. It finalized last week an order for 73 Aravis, a big 4X4 protected. The customer is Saudi Arabia, as confirmed by the DGA. Riyadh had already purchased one hundred Caesar self-propelled guns of 155 mm. The French group continues its offensive on the spot: he allied himself with a Saudi company to negotiate a large order for guns 105LG (Light Gunner).

Meanwhile, Nexter goes upmarket in India where he opened a subsidiary in late March. He teamed up with the Indian group Larsen & Toubro with whom he developed a new towed gun, called Trajan, Caesar's cousin somehow, to answer the call for tenders launched in January 2011 for supply gear 1500. This year, New Delhi has launched a new competition for 500 guns like Caesar. These two markets are estimated at several billion dollars. And India wants to buy 700,000 modular charges used to propel the shell to the desired distance.

Everywhere Nexter faces stiff competition with no less than 10 global players in the only segment of the VBCI. But Nexter "has changed its look and become more agile and international competitiveness," says CEO who has advanced his great project of 25% reduction of production costs of its product line.

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The explosion of the energy bill of Japan had dropped to half the current account surplus of the Archipelago in 2011, to 96.2 billion euros, its lowest level in fifteen years, due to massive purchases of foreign natural gas to offset the collapse of nuclear power after the disaster of Fukushima. The earthquake and tsunami of 11 March also contributed to plunge the country into recession with a GDP (gross domestic product) by 0.9% last year (- 2.3% between October and December). He had already declined by 1% in 2008 and 5.5% in 2009 before rebounding by 4.4% in 2010.

Although the Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, provides that "the recovery process generates powerful forces that encourage innovation," companies are facing a global demand weakened by the problems of the United States and the debt crisis in Europe. In the last quarter of 2011, Japan's exports fell 11.9%. They must also cope with low consumption. It grew only 1.2% between October and December, three times the previous quarter. But they also have problems of logistics and outs of their supply chains.

Between the earthquake and the end of last year, the government did adopt three additional budget of nearly € 180 billion to fund reconstruction. A fourth envelope of 25 billion was passed earlier this month. "But the time to accumulate and many projects could be delayed," warns an analyst at JPMorgan Securities Japan payday loans with no fax.

Vietnam in focus

Suddenly, the Archipelago is increasingly tempted by offshoring. He did it in Thailand but the floods of last year asking him problems today. Also turns he now to Vietnam. Last year more than 200 Japanese companies have come to settle there, investing 1.4 billion euros in the country. They are driven not only by the slowdown of the Japanese economy, but the yen, by rising production costs in China and a population of working age is decreasing. Despite this, the government is optimistic. He believes that Japan's GDP is expected to rebound by 2.2% during the next fiscal year (from April 2012 to March 2013). He stressed that the rising prices of oil products and coal has slowed from 10.6% in December to 5.6% in January, to contain the growth of wholesale prices 0.5% on a year.

The State also relies on consumer confidence which rose 1.1 points in January for the second consecutive month. He adds that orders for capital goods, down 7.1% in December and down 2.6% in the fourth quarter are expected to rebound by 2.3% between January and March 2012.

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Japan met on Monday and Tuesday in Tokyo, seems to follow suit. It should indeed leave interest rates unchanged in the country.

Samsung does not waste time. After the presentation of the 4S iPhone, the South Korean group said it would ask for an interim prohibition of sale in France and Italy, pending a trial on the merits. He said the new phone from Apple violated its patents in the 3G. This violation is "too severe" to be ignored, says Samsung, which will carry out actions in other countries, "after further review."

The lawsuit against Samsung in the iPhone 4S, very fast, is not a surprise. During September, several of its leaders had suggested to the English-language daily Korea Times that a major action was preparing for "Apple hanging in the courts' right out of the new iPhone."It will be impossible for Apple to sell its iProduits with telecommunications functions, without using our patents," explained an officer of Samsung on condition of anonymity.

In detail, the Samsung grievances against Apple are the same as when filing a complaint with the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris, July 8, against the iPhone 3G and 3G, the iPhone 4 , and 1 and 2 iPad 3G version. According to Samsung, these devices infringe three of its patents on W-CDMA technology, used for third generation mobile telephony. The application for interim measures against the iPhone 4S is it on two of its patents.

"We seem to move towards a total war"

The application for non-iPhone 4S in France and Italy in addition to a litany of lawsuits between Apple and Samsung launched in over ten countries unsecured personal loans.The American group, which attacked the first, seeks to prohibit particular tablet Galaxy Tab 10.1 smartphone Galaxy and S2, which he considered too much like the iPad. He earned a win in Germany and Australia, achieving a ban on the shelf. A proposed agreement, Australia has been refused by Apple.

Samsung, which had initially decided to adopt a defensive position, finally decided to strike back against the courts. "We seem to move towards a total war," said a spokesman for the group told AFP. However, it concluded last week an agreement with Microsoft, by agreeing to pay a fee for each Android phone sold under its brand and committing to support the development and marketing of Windows Phone.

Adversaries in court, Apple and Samsung are still partners.In 2010, Apple was also the second largest customer of Samsung, after Sony, representing 4% of its annual turnover. Memory and the processor of the iPhone A4 and 4 are supplied by the South Korean conglomerate. Samsung also manufactures the processor of the iPad 2 A5, which is found in the iPhone 4S. Its share in the design of other parts of the new Apple phone is not yet known.

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Globalization has a bad press these days. While the debt crisis has taken over from the 2008 financial crisis, many cities and regions rely on the relocation of the economy. They have to do this, decided to do without the euro by inventing their own currency. Latest initiative, that of Filettino, Italy, beating since late August, "Fiorito".

This small town of 598 inhabitants located in the province of Frosinone in the center of the country declared independence in protest against the government's austerity plan which provides for the pooling of budgets of small towns under 1000 inhabitants. The new "Principality" issued 20,000 tickets to the effigy of the Mayor and has already set an exchange rate against the euro if it would carry out its threat of secession. The "Fiorito" would then 0.50 euro.

The idea of ​​an alternative currency to the euro or the dollar is not new. By 2003, Prien am Chiemsee, a common German Bavaria, has released the "Chiemgauer." Notes 1,2,5, 10, 20 and 50 Chiemgauers have the same value as the euro and can be used in a network of retailers and businesses that have joined the project. Today there are 617 members. The phenomenon has become so widespread in Germany there are about sixty local currencies.

Development "solidarity"

These alternative currencies have also landed in France. At the initiative of the Association for the living act, the Bee has appeared in the wallets of the people of Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the Lot-et-Garonne, in January 2010. In Toulouse, the Sol-Violette is intended as a "currency ethics", which aims to promote "economic solidarity".Finally, the South Ardeche has established its currency, the Firefly, in spring 2011 in order to "pave the way for a greener economy of the human being and its environment."

Hints "solidarity" that is found throughout Europe, the hour or the debt crisis is spreading cheap business cards. In Belgium, in the region of Hainaut, in Mons has launched the Ropi to "relocate the economy, preparing for post-growth, and put the citizen at the heart of the debates and decisions, including finance and monetary issues. " These concerns go far beyond European borders. In the United States in the region of the Berkshire (Massachusetts), associations were created in 2006 a parallel currency system, based on BerkShares. Today, more than 400 companies accept this money, and more than 2.7 million BerkShares are outstanding, redeemable at $ 1 against 0.95 BerkShares.

Closed circuit

Faced with the popularity of these alternative currencies, the euro and the dollar they have to be worried? In a report published in 2007, the Deutsche Bundesbank, the German Central Bank, was already wondering if they could compete with the euro. According to the institution, the local currency in circulation in Germany then weighed the equivalent of 200,000 euros and their impact on the economy was "negligible." Today, they account for 900,000 euros.

The Bank of France, meanwhile, said that the legal tender, as defined in the Monetary and Financial Code, is the fundamental principle of any form of payment. "Traders are obliged to accept notes and coins are legal tender with this." Conversely, the release of a parallel currency is not prohibited, but it must be under an agreement between the different users."This currency is not exchangeable and circulates in a closed circuit," says the institution. Despite the snowball effect, the euro has probably nothing to fear from local currencies doomed to remain confidential.

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