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Bad news for French households and consumer prices should continue to grow in 2011, while wages will stagnate and that taxes will increase.

After months of stagnation, inflation awoke late 2010, in France and in Europe. Consumer prices in France rose 1.8% year on year in December. On average, throughout the year, inflation should reach 1.5% at 1% in 2009.

Direct consequence of this increase: the rate of pay of the Livret A, a favorite investment of the French, will climb 2% on 1 February. Good news for the 59 million holders of savings product. For consumers, however, the pill may be bitter inflationary.

Rising consumer prices recorded in 2010 due to half the surge in energy prices, particularly oil.A barrel of crude is actually spent about $ 70 to almost $ 100 over the last three months. For the French who heat with gas or buy gasoline for their car, the soaring price of energy strike the wallet.

Food products should increase soon

The other two positions that have pulled up prices last year are housing and transportation. Again, these are fixed expenses for households. Bad news: according to most economists, the rise of consumer prices expected to continue in 2011. BNP Paribas expects inflation to 1.7%, France 1.6% HSBC, Natixis and CPE of 1.5%.

First, because the soaring prices of agricultural raw materials has not yet been passed on to food prices.Then, because even if the bullish momentum slowing down, oil prices should remain at a high level between 80 and 90 dollars a barrel. The rising cost of fuel at the pump is not over. Finally, since the beginning of the year is marked by a series of inflation rates (electricity, insurance, telecom subscriptions, visit to the doctor, etc.)..

But these price increases will not be compensated by wages. The rise in the index of base monthly salary (SMB) in 2010 is at a level close to inflation. This means that the gain in purchasing power of employees is virtually zero. In 2011, companies will not be more generous. Consulting firms specializing in the analysis of wage policies of firms believe that budgets increases will remain historically low.

Elimination of many tax benefits

Not to mention that the policy of reducing the government deficit will result in the removal this year of a large number of tax reductions enjoyed until now households (reduction of social charges on employment at home, tax benefit married and PACS, reduced bonus cars, decreased the reduction of the solidarity tax on wealth …).

"1.5% inflation in the macroeconomic environment that surrounds the French is a lot," said Frédérique Cerisier, economist at BNP Paribas. "The purchasing power of households will be lower in 2011 than in 2010, warns Jean-Christophe Caffet of Natixis.It is caught between a rock – a sustained high inflation – and a hard place – pay on the downside. "

Therefore, household consumption, the main engine of French growth, the chances are slow this year. Especially since the scrapping, a measure that drew the car sales in France in 2009 and 2010, has died. After +1.6% expected in 2010, consumption would be only 1%, according to economists' forecasts of BNP and Natixis. In this context, the target of 2% GDP growth the government seems difficult to achieve …

Wall Street opened Wednesday's meeting up after the auction successful Portuguese debt, and carried by the resumption of U.S. banking sector.

A few minutes after the start of trading, the Dow Jones gained 0.44% to 11,723.50 points, the Standard & Poor's 500 index 0.51% to 1280.95 points and the Nasdaq Composite 2724.81 0.29% points.

The title JPMorgan called the meeting to an increase of 1.83%. The CEO of the bank announced it would pay an annual dividend of between 0.75 and one dollar from the Federal Reserve has completed stress tests it performs on the biggest U.S. bank agreed.

AIG takes action for its 2.4% at the opening.The U.S. insurer announced Wednesday the sale of its Taiwanese life insurance Nan Shan Life to a consortium led by the Ruentex conglomerate, for $ 2.16 billion (1.7 billion euros).

British Prime Minister hopes that banks extend bonus smaller than last year. " The austerity measures imposed on the people revived the controversy within the governing coalition.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has called on banks in the City to grant bonus smaller than last year, "said include" anger "of the population faced with very generous bonuses.

"I want to see smaller bonuses than last year," said the head of government to the BBC, citing in particular the delicate issue of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), business owned more than 80% by State and who, according to the Sunday Telegraph, is preparing to give his boss Stephen Hester total salaries and bonuses amounting to 6.8 million pounds (8.2 million).

Mr.Cameron described the figure as "pure speculation" but added: "Royal Bank of Scotland is owned by the government. They should set the standard not to exceed". "We want to see banks acting responsibly," he firmly told.

Seven billion pounds of bonuses in 2010

The conservative prime minister has however refused to "bashing" the banks, whose success is the basis of British economic growth, "he recalled. He stressed that his government was "the first in the world" to impose a tax on banks.

The bonus issue continues to haunt the ruling coalition, driving a wedge between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are their allies who demand more restraint from the banks while a draconian austerity is imposed on the population.Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, leader of the "Lib-Dems, has recently considered" unacceptable that millions of people to make sacrifices in terms of living standards, while banks are doing no damage. "

The CEBR research center had estimated in October to September billion pounds (8.4 billion euros) bonuses that banks in the City grant for 2010, down 4% compared to 2009.

The boss of Barclays soon auditioned

Premiums most controversial ones concern paid by RBS, which has avoided bankruptcy only through a massive injection of public money. Its chief executive Stephen Hester is expected to receive £ 2.5 million bonus for 2010, according to the Sunday Telegraph. However, the news channel SkyNews said Sunday that he would waive any premium in cash, as he did last year.

The controversy surrounding the bonus promised to resurface the hearing Tuesday with the boss of Barclays, Bob Diamond, before a parliamentary committee. "We will ask him to accept any bonuses," said Labour MP John Mann told The Observer. Barclays has weathered the crisis without recourse to public funds but Bod Diamond, a wealthy American nicknamed "banker to the 100 million" is often cited as the archetype of financial greedy.

The Sunday Telegraph, the government will require the five largest banks in the UK (HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, RBS and Santander) that they sign a pledge to increase their lending to SMEs in the country in exchange for an agreement tacit bonuses reasonable.The British Bankers Association (BBA) said that the national rules regarding bonuses was already "the toughest in the world" means any payment in cash must remain below 50% of the premium and must receive regulatory approval financial control.

Renault is a victim of organized international chain in the case of alleged industrial espionage in which three executives were laid off, says its deputy CEO, Patrick Pelata.

"This is the sort of work of professionals," said Patrick Pelata in an interview with Le Monde newspaper to be published Saturday."Renault is a victim of international organized network."

"This case of alleged espionage does not change the program of development of electric vehicles at the heart of the strategic vision required by Carlos Ghosn (CEO of Renault," he adds.

Information on the vehicle's architecture as well as the costs and economics of electric car program could escape, but "no nugget technology" has been filtered out of the business, said Patrick Pelata dated to the World Sunday-Monday.

The video game publisher Atari is the subject of rumors of sale of assets related to its portfolio of licenses, it was learned Friday from several market sources.

The French publisher of mobile games Gameloft has denied the rumor that designated as potential buyer, cited by one analyst who requested anonymity.

"Pieces of Atari certain interest groups, particularly in its portfolio of old video game licenses well known," said the analyst.

A spokesman for Atari did not wish to make comment.

These rumors come as the largest shareholder of Atari, the fund BlueBay Asset Management, bought mid-December by Royal Bank of Canada, has initiated a process to divest its stake in French company.

BlueBay, whose shareholding in Atari is about 19%, also owns several instruments giving access to capital. By practicing, he could bring to nearly 70% its total shareholding in Atari.

Traders have also reported rumors of asset sales to explain the rise as Atari, which jumped 14.55% Thursday and gained up to 8.6% on Friday morning.

At 11:55, the action took Atari 4.76% to 3.30 euros in volumes representing nearly six times the average of the last three months.

The title evolved in recent days particularly high volumes.

Atari has a market capitalization of 69 million euros.

The mayor of Paris would get 120 million euros to fund additional social housing and implement a rent control in the capital.

Bertrand Delanoe announced Wednesday that he had written to the Prime Minister to Paris to help the state meet the legal threshold of 20% social housing and for regulating "rents soared" when greeting elected to the theme of housing.

"We spend 450 million euros per year for social housing. We went from just under 13% of social housing in Paris before 2001 to just over 17% today," he said.The Socialist mayor asked the Prime Minister "that the government take its share of this effort of 6000 social housing [funded each year] and that besides these 450 million, he put 120 million euros."

"I earnestly request that the Prime Minister gives the legislative means to experiment with our responsibility under rent control with the first rental and ownership change" to curb property speculation, "he added. Bertrand Delanoe has also announced its intention to extend the allowance for pensioners Paris Housing and disabled people. This assistance is for households that spend more than 30% of their income on rent, with less than 1 100 euros for singles and couples or 1600 euros for couples with one child.

The mayor also wants to "pursue" her "effort to help the Parisians to become homeowners."With the doubling of interest-free loan in 2010 are 14,620 Parisians who have acquired their home in Paris," he said. "In nine years, Paris has won 86 000 inhabitants, including many families, young people, while we had lost 170 000 inhabitants in the previous 15 years," said the mayor of Paris. "We're in a city that makes a lot of people but where rents have doubled in ten years and the m2 price increased 36% in five years."

Elected in November 56th governor of a heavily indebted state and marked by corrupt elites, Democrat Andrew Cuomo said Monday he would reduce his salary by 5%.

The new Governor of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo, announced Monday it would reduce his salary by 5%, a sacrifice that will also accept his top aides, said a statement.

The governor received a salary since 1999 set by law, and unchanged since then 179,000 dollars a year, says the document. So the responsible Democrat reimburse the state the part corresponding to the reduction that has decided.

Several close associates of the new governor, who succeeds David Paterson was sworn in Jan. 1 in Albany, the state capital, have agreed to wage cuts like the statement said.

"Change begins at the top, and we lead by example", he said. Mr.Cuomo has also called for a reduction of 5% of the operating budget of the state executive and its secretariat has begun a review of expenditure to identify areas where cuts are made.

Elected last November 56th state governor, Andrew Cuomo, 53, is the son of former governor Mario Cuomo (in office from 1983 to 1994). Minister of Justice of the State since 2006, destroyer of corruption and social housing specialist, he inherited a heavily indebted state and marked by corrupt elites. Andrew Cuomo is divorced from Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, with whom he had three daughters. His current girlfriend, Sandra Lee, 44, is a television celebrity when she hosted a cooking show. She is also the author of several cookbooks.