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The new government of François Fillon revised Sunday, is characterized by the departure of Michele Alliot-Marie and Hortefeux and arrivals of Gerard Longuet and Claude Gueant, and a preponderance of Alain Juppe. Alain Juppe replaces Michele Alliot-Marie at the Quai d'Orsay, announced Sunday, February 27 President Nicolas Sarkozy

After weeks of controversy, Nicolas Sarkozy has redesigned Sunday, February 27 regal positions of his government, replacing Michele Alliot-Marie Alain Juppe at the Quai d'Orsay, to beef up its foreign policy, trounced his procrastination to meet Arab revolutions. This is the fourth cabinet reshuffle of Francois Fillon in less than a year, amid embarrassing business for some of its members.

In a speech Broadcast less than seven minutes Sunday night, the head of state announced the arrival of the Interior of his confidential, the secretary general of the Elysee Claude Gueant, instead another of his followers Hortefeux, and confirmed the appointment of senators UMP boss Gerard Longuet of Defense. "My duty as president is to explain the challenges ahead, but equally to protect the present from the French," he said, "This is why, with (…) Francois Fillon, we have decided to reorganize the departments that relate to our diplomacy and our security. "

If he praised the "great hope" raised by popular revolts that toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and now threaten that of Muammar Qaddafi, Nicolas Sarkozy has warned against "what might be consequences of such tragedies on uncontrollable migration and terrorism. "

"The fear of confrontation, exclusion never allowed to prepare the future, internationally and at national level. Conversely, the refusal to see reality in the face exacerbates tensions," also said the president, while the UMP has already announced a controversial debate, including right on the place of Islam in France.

In this climate, Nicolas Sarkozy justified the remodeling of his government by the need to appoint people "prepared to face the upcoming events which no one can predict the course".He welcomed in Alain Juppe "one who has already exercised these functions (Minister of Foreign Affairs 1993-1995) with a success universally recognized" and Gerard Longuet, "a man of experience." As for Claude Gueant, he "knows all the ins and outs" of the Ministry of Interior.

The president did not have cons in a word for MAM, which was finally submitted his resignation Sunday after weeks of controversy over the conditions of his Christmas vacation in Tunisia. In his letter of resignation, the former boss of the Quai d'Orsay has justified its departure by refusing to accept "that some use this cabal to try to convince a weakening of the international policy of France." After resisting calls to resign, she repeated "have the feeling of having committed any breach."

This remanienent, onne already as a repudiation of Brice Hortefeux.This faithful of the Head of State will join soon, however at the Elysee in "Eminent functions," said Mr Sarkozy's entourage, including where it should prepare the presidential campaign of 2012. According to government sources, Mr. Guéant will be replaced by Acting secretary general of the Elysee by his deputy, Xavier Musca, principal adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy on financial and economic issues.

MAM's companion, Minister of Relations with Parliament, Patrick Ollier, also indicted for his vacation in Tunisia, has retained his portfolio. Benoît Hamon (PS) has estimated that the departure of MMA signed the "fiasco" of the foreign policy of Nicolas Sarkozy and a "humiliating defeat for France." As for Marine Le Pen (FN), she lamented the lack of "concrete announcement (over) flow control our borders."

The EU has declared Friday a ban on arms and equipment of repression, as well as asset freezes and visa bans against Muammar Gaddafi and his family, while in Libya continues the bloody repression of protest movement. After a week of popular mobilization in the streets of Libya, including the east where the protesters would control some cities, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi meets.

The 27 States of the European Union agreed Friday, February 25 at mid-afternoon to declare an arms embargo and a ban on material that could be used to suppress the demonstrations, have confirmed Diplomatic sources told AFP.They also note the principle of asset freezes, visa bans against Muammar Gaddafi and his family, but the precise list of persons subject to embargoes should be further developed, these diplomats have said.

According to a German government source, the sanctions could come into force "early next week." The policy decision was made Friday after a written procedure which ended around 1500 GMT with no objections from the 27 states concerned, as a diplomat. If there is consensus on the type of measures to adopt, details yet to be finalized by experts from the EU very soon, said another European diplomat.

Several European leaders, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded in recent days for sanctions against the Libyan leader.Long reluctant, Italians have come to rally Wednesday to the principle of sanctions, without defining precisely why at first. Friday morning on the sidelines of a meeting of European Ministers of Defence in Gödöllő, near Budapest, the head of European diplomacy Ashton considered that it was "time" for the EU to impose sanctions "to bring the maximum pressure and try to stop the violence in Libya and help the country move forward. "

In Paris, the Central Office for the Suppression of the large financial crime has opened an investigation in respect of Muammar Gaddafi in France, while the Department of the Treasury of the United States said Friday it had called the country's financial institutions to be particularly vigilant about the possible movement of funds by the Libyan leadership.Meanwhile, in New York, the fifteen Security Council UN met Friday to consider in turn sanctions against the regime of Libyan leader.

Of UN sanctions will not be adopted as early as Friday, but some member countries were to discuss them on the sidelines of the meeting at which the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should make a presentation of the situation in Libya, diplomats said. A text already circulating among the Fifteen, containing elements of a resolution that could be proposed for adoption this weekend or early next week, according to these diplomats.

German RWE, the fifth largest European utilities, reduced its investment and selling assets to offset the decline more than expected it expects its earnings for 2011.

The group expects this year to an operating profit down 20% to about 6.16 billion euros, while analysts polled by Reuters do not anticipate a decline of 16%.

The valuation of RWE is 25% lower than its European competitors because of high cost for the band he has to pay compensation for emissions of carbon dioxide from its power plants.

RWE is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide European.The group is also facing new charges in Germany on its nuclear plants.

The recovery group is five times its EBITDA (EBITDA) estimated for the next twelve months, against an average of 6.8 times for its European competitors, according to data from Thomson Reuters StarMine.

Electricity, gas, fuel … consumers see their energy bills blaze for more than a year. And wonder if these increases are justified. Electricity: 6% since January 2010

It was some years claimed that EDF increased its tariffs. In 2009, this emphasis was even claimed in his post Gadonneix, who advocated an increase of 20% over 3 years. Since then, the subject has become less taboo. Rates individuals have indeed increased twice by 3% in August 2010 and January 2011. Though limited, such increases had not been seen for over 20 years. To justify the government, which sets regulated tariffs for individuals, highlights the need depermettre EDF to ensure "the integrity of the French power system.The public electricity group has decided to revive investment in France, including the construction of new plants, and must cope with the aging of its network. The problem is that these increases will not stop there way.

From 1 July, the law will force Nome EDF to sell a quarter of its production to its competitors. However, regardless of the resale price to be determined (between 35 and 42 euros MHW), it will affect the electricity bill. Indeed, the law provides for convergence of the pricing regime and the price paid by individuals (EDF enough to make win-win if he gets a higher resale price). According to estimates by the JDD, it is 42 euros, as requested by EDF, the rate for individuals will increase by at least 35% over the next five years.At 39 euros, as the report suggests Champsaur, the increase would not exceed 30% in five years, a level of 5% per year.

Another driver of prices, renewable energy that EDF is obliged to repurchase at full price. Last year, they weighed nearly 3 billion euros in the accounts of the electrician. On 1 January, the CSPE (contribution to public service charges for electricity), which aims to offset the costs of utility electricity is increased from 4.5 to 7.5 euros MWh. Which resulted in another increase of 3% of consumer bills. Again further increases are not excluded …

Gas: 15% since January 2010

10% in April – the largest increase since November 2005 – and 5% in July, gas prices rose 15% last year (and 51% since July 2005).According to Le Figaro, if we applied the automatic formula that determines the quarterly changes in gas prices, gas prices could still rise by 4.8 to 5.2% from 1 April. What to wear rising to 20% in one year. Rather strange, since for several years, gas prices on wholesale markets continue to fall (the benchmark, the Henry Hub, has plummeted 70% since June 2008). In reality, the mathematical formula used by the government to calculate gas prices that led to these increases systematically. The latter, rather than taking into account changes in the price of gas is indexed to oil prices and changes in the exchange rate of the euro. An absurd practice today since the price of oil and gas do not change at all in parallel.Last June, the economy minister, Christine Lagarde, asked for "a pause" in raising gas prices until 1 January 2011, the time an audit determines whether the tariff applied was "good . Since December, the price of gas has been re-indexed on the price movements of natural gas markets, but only up to 10%. This should not prevent it from buckling! For the umpteenth time UFC-Que Choisir has asked the state Tuesday he opposes the automatic increase in April …

Gasoline: 21.5% for diesel and 13% for lead-free since January 2010

No surprise to have on gasoline prices at the pump. They have evolved throughout the year based on crude prices.End of 2010, rising global energy demand, linked to economic recovery, the decline of the euro, or the harsh European winter were in a barrel of crude reached new records. Since the beginning of the year, these are the crises in the Maghreb countries that have weighed on the course. On Tuesday, a barrel of Brent North Sea rose to 108.57 dollars, the highest since September 4, 2008. Concerns over supply black gold have doubled due to the outbreak of violence in Libya. February 17, diesel at the pump (80% of volumes sold in France) and has sold more than 1.30 euro / liter (cons € 1.07 in January 2010), its highest level since September 2008. Fuel is still remained substantially below its record high in late May 2008, to 1.45 euros.

A Nuclear Policy Council is scheduled Monday afternoon to organize the French sector and should, according to press reports, relate in particular to study the strategic partnership between EDF and Areva.

This council under the direction of the President of the Republic, which does not appear in the official agenda should also focus on the mining strategy of both companies and the organization of the French nuclear industry for export, including writing the daily Les Echos, which does not identify its sources.

"The only thing I can tell you is (this meeting) concerns the organization of the French nuclear industry, the so-called team of France's nuclear, it must be organized," said Minister Eric Besson, France 2 on Monday morning.

"EDF is important, is the largest producer of nuclear electricity in the world, how could he not play a major role in the industry, but there are other very important players: Alstom, Areva in the first Chief, GDF Suez, which is a major producer of global power and would be more so in France nuclear power, so all must be organized, "he added.

The daily Les Echos writes the question that should be included in focus: the association or not EDF's reactor project at medium power, TDD, developed by Areva and its partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which GDF Suez is associated.

The daily La Tribune, the UMP Senator Gerard Longuet would otherwise be a candidate for the succession to the presidency Anne Lauvergeon of Areva.

Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to receive by the end of February a list of potential candidates for the succession of Anne Lauvergeon, whose term ends in late June.

Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday urged the G20 countries do not lower our guard in the coordination of economic policies and to address "real issues" that are the international monetary system or the volatility of commodity prices.

Receiving finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 meeting in Paris until Saturday, the French president also asked them not to leave their discussions get bogged down on technical subjects as the measure of economic imbalances.

"I know one year is very short.We will not succeed at everything, "he said about the objectives of the French presidency of the G20.

"But nothing would be worse than refusing to deal with real issues that face us, as the issue of international monetary order and the volatility of commodity prices."

On the first point, he welcomed that China has agreed to host in late March in Shenzhen, a seminar on ways to reform the international monetary system.

Announced long, this event seemed an uncertain time when new countries like Brazil and India have added their voice to those that the United States in the lead, urging Beijing to revalue its currency.

ENDLESS DISCUSSIONS

China also threatens the hopes of understanding of the G20 in Paris on a battery of indicators that would initially measure the large global macroeconomic disorder and eventually to correct it.

Nicolas Sarkozy has held that the issue was "very technical but also very political" and could be treated by a "mechanistic approach", adding:

"I want to avoid getting bogged down in your discussions endless discussions on these indicators that we divert from the essential: that everyone agrees and takes action to achieve a win-win cooperation between countries that are free of economic policy choices. "

More generally, he stressed that the G20 had demonstrated its effectiveness in managing the crisis and felt that this past experience "has shown that international coordination is the only way we will reconnect with a high level of growth ".

To those who accuse France of having attached to its presidency of the G20 too ambitious an agenda will face the interests of big powers, Nicolas Sarkozy said:

"By choosing a very ambitious agenda, France chose the path of prudence. In choosing a calendar without content and without ambition that France would have chosen the most reckless because public opinion around the world feel that in Your hands will play the strength and extent of recovery. "

The Dutch chemical group Akzo Nobel has yielded disappointing results on Thursday for the fourth quarter, its margin afflicted by soaring commodity prices.

World number one paints recorded quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 377 million euros, while the Reuters poll stood at 409 million. A year earlier, gross operating income was set at 367 million euros.

The turnover amounted to 3.6 billion euros over the period, while analysts polled by Reuters had forecast on average 3.41 billion.

AkzoNobel has implicated the rise in materials in 2010, especially in the second half.Its chief executive Hans Wijers said he expected this trend to continue this year with growth rates around 5% in 2011.

"Measures of price and cost reduction are ongoing and Akzo Nobel expects to offset these increases throughout 2011," the group said in a statement.

The manufacturer of coatings for laptops, mobile phones, home, planes and boats, said anticipating growth of over 5% of its turnover and its EBITDA in 2011, according to its strategic objectives.

He had previously announced estimate a 5% increase in commodity prices in 2010, a figure which could put margins under pressure as there is usually a lag of three to six months before the group can transfer charge in its prices.

The action AkzoNobel trading at about 17 times its estimated earnings, a figure consistent with that of his American rival Sherwin-Williams.

This ratio is however higher than that of another competitor PPG, which trades at 15 times earnings, and that of the German BASF, which stood at 12.5 times.

Analysts said the share price AkzoNobel is pulled down by the deficit of its pension and restructuring costs and the Netherlands could become a potential target or engage himself in a wave of acquisitions.

M6 reported Tuesday in a rebound in sales and current operating profit in 2010 in favor of a marked recovery in advertising revenues.

Over the full year, advertising revenue for the second French private television group posted an increase of 12.5%, compared with a decline of 8.0% during the previous year.

It thus came to 724.6 million euros – a figure higher than that recorded in 2008 – bringing the total turnover of the group at 1.462 billion euros against 1.465 billion expected by analysts on average consensus Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S.

"The advertising recovery began in early 2010 was confirmed and was amplified throughout the year," said the television group in a statement.

The group, whose RTL holds just over 48% do not provide forecasts for 2011.

Advertising revenue from the M6 rose by 10.7% over the year to 670 million euros.

Digital channels grew even stronger by 14.8% due to the contribution of the chain W9 which made 45 of the 100 best audiences for digital terrestrial television last year, the statement said.

SLOWDOWN IN 4TH QUARTER

As expected, the fourth quarter was marked by a slowdown, with the standstill in the consolidated turnover after rising 7.3% during the previous three months, driven database comparisons less favorable and the decline in business diversification and audiovisual rights.

Over the whole of 2010, diversification activities, which represent slightly less than half the total, however, show a turnover of nearly stable (-0.4%).

Operating profit, which had declined from 1.9% in 2009, was up by 27.3% to 242 million euros for an operating margin of 16.6% against 13.8% in the previous year .

Net income group share, amounted to further 157 million euros, up 12.8%, against 154 million expected on average, according to Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S.

M6 holds a meeting with analysts Wednesday morning.They expect including indications on the outlook in terms of advertising revenue for 2011.

In early January, the chief executive Nicolas de Tavernost had said "somewhat optimistic" for the fiscal year in an interview with Le Figaro.

The group could also provide guidance on the development costs of grid after an increase of 5.4% for M6 in 2010 to 319,800,000 euros.

Nicolas de Tavernost said he planned to increase by at least 5% to 10% investments in its grid in 2011.

The group, which had a net cash position of 377.5 million euros at December 31, 2010, said he planned to pay a dividend of 1.00 euro per share for 2010.

Before the publication of results, the action of M6 closed down 0.52% to 18.11 euros, giving a market capitalization of around 2.3 billion euros.

Rival TF1 release its results on Thursday.

Industrial production in the euro zone fell 0.1% in December on a month, said Monday the statistics office of the European Union, Eurostat.

In one year, industrial production increased by 8%.

The market economists polled by Reuters expected industrial production unchanged over the month and an annual increase of 8.1%.

In November, production was up 1.4% from October and 7.9% over one year.

Against the French, Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated all the evil he thinks the 35 hours, he said officials of the industrial decline of France. A clarification is needed. Nicolas Sarkozy was the guest on the program "Face the French" on TF1 Thursday, February 10

Boasting a question Lionel Dauguet, welder at the shipyard of Saint Nazaire on the future of his employment, Nicolas Sarkozy returned Thursday to the charge against the 35 hours. And rather violent. Loss of competitiveness of France against Germany, falling wages, outsourcing, declining industry and industrial employment: everything is the fault of 35 hours, according to the head of state. But his reasoning is totally flawed. Explanations.

Nicolas Sarkozy said that since the early 2000s, France has lost half a million manufacturing jobs. In fact, it's more: almost 800,000 according to figures from INSEE.But one third (270 000) of these losses are concentrated on the period 2008-2010. The industry is indeed one that has suffered most from the economic crisis. And if the scale of destruction of jobs is not higher is because plants have resorted to massive layoffs. The absence of 35 hours seems so out of respect in this case.

Second, France does not lose manufacturing jobs over the past ten years only, but for thirty years. The phenomenon of deindustrialization has much deeper roots than the recent 35 hours. Between 1980 and 2007, French industry has lost 36% of its workforce, a total of 1.9 million jobs, according to a study by the Directorate General of Treasury and Economic Policy (DGTPE) published in 2010.

The real reasons for the loss of competitiveness against Germany

The causes? For a quarter of these losses, it is actually transfers to the services sector (including outsourcing to the Acting whose employees are included in the tertiary sector). For third, the fault lies with the technical progress – increasing productivity gains thus reducing the need for labor – and the decline in household demand which is geared more towards services.

Offshoring for their part accounted for between 10 and 20% of job losses in French industry between 1995 and 2001, according to Insee. And more than half of them are made to developed countries, not a logic of cost reduction but restructuring. However, a more recent period (2000-2003), the destination of relocation has changed in favor of low-wage countries, notably China.And then, 35 hours or 39 hours, impossible to compete.

The loss of France's competitiveness vis-à-vis Germany for ten years, however, is real. The hourly cost of labor increased by about 30% in France between 2000 and 2008 against 15% in Germany, a recent study of Coe-Rexecode. For this institute liberal, the 35 hours are clearly guilty: their implementation would have resulted in an increase of 17% of gross hourly minimum wage between 2002 and 2005. Economists argue that left this overhead was fully offset by reductions in social charges on low wages.

The 35H is unlocked, and yet …

Where Nicolas Sarkozy reason is that 35 hours have actually resulted in wage moderation for several years. However, less strong than in Germany.While the average annual wage increased by 10.8% in France over the period 2000-2009, it grew by only 1% in Germany. In reality, especially Germany, which has strengthened its competitiveness at the expense of France by setting up in the early 2000s, an aggressive policy of competitive disinflation, even depress domestic demand.

It lacks the reasoning of a drop Nicolas Sarkozy. Today, 35 hours exist anymore: Nicolas Sarkozy was completed in 2007, undermining started by Francois Fillon in 2003. Result: the French work more than the Germans (1554 hours in the year against 1390). Labor costs on both sides of the Rhine is also relatively close. In 2008, hourly labor costs in manufacturing was 33.5 euros in France and 33.2 Euros in Germany, according to a study by the Ministry of Industry.Another study by the Audit Board of Social Security shows that labor costs even more expensive in Germany (24.6 euros per hour on average against 23.6 euros in France), reveals the former boss of the Apec Eric Verhaegue.

Yet job losses continue and the industrial relocations are rare. Yet, Germany is far more competitive than France (its trade surplus in 2010 equal to three times the deficit of France). Because the strength of Germany is above all a strong industrial specialization on value added products and a solid fabric of SME exporters. What is missing in the French industry. Last year, despite the sluggish recovery, 5.3 million employees have made 750 million for overtime, the president said during the show "French Song". And yet, the purchasing power of French people have little or no progress.