May 1: Unions do not digest the "real work" of Sarkozy

This May 1, 2012 has a full-bodied taste Policy. The union ledaders divide between neutrality and call to vote against Nicolas Sarkozy. In the street, this tension is just as palpable. Report in the procession in Paris. The leader of the CFDT leader Francois Chereque and the GCT Bernard Thibault opened the first parade in Paris in May 2012 in Paris, place Denfert-Rochereau

The May 1 succeed but not alike. In 2002, May 1, had turned into a huge rally anti-FN. All political organizations were associated with unions to make the day of the traditional feast day of a trade union demonstration against the presence of Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of presidential elections. More recently, in 2010, May 1 was marked by the struggle against the pension reform.  

May 1, 2012 falls, as every five years, in an electoral context clear: it takes place between the two rounds of presidential elections, which saw the face incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Francois Hollande. But he has a special feature to dredge the electorate FN, the UMP candidate called for a rally for the "real work", Place du Trocadero in Paris. A strategy to cut the rug out from under the National Front, which organizes the annual May 1 parade in honor of Jeanne d'Arc, but also to stigmatize the unions, these intermediate bodies against which the outgoing president n ' has repeatedly hit since his campaign.

"Ask the red flag"

Nicolas Sarkozy unions

At five days of the second round of presidential elections on 1 May 2012 has thus turned into a showdown between unions and Nicolas Sarkozy. In a square packed with people Trocadero, the incumbent president has urged unions to "raise the red flag" and to "leave aside the parties". "Your role is not to defend an ideology," he said. "In the Republic it is not the unions who govern, it is the government," he said to applause outgoing president. A scratch at union leaders who called for a vote against him.

This is particularly the case of Bernard Thibault. The secretary general of the CGT, who had called to "beat" the outgoing president Nicolas Sarkozy announced clearly on Europe 1 this morning he would vote for Francois Hollande in the second round of presidential elections. This position has caused unease in the ranks of the CFDT, who refuses to be recovered politically. So no calls to vote on the side of management. That did not stop François Chérèque, to blame Nicolas Sarkozy. "From the moment you wanted to divide the French, among those who had the 'false labor", that is to say "the welfare, civil servants, and on the other side those who had the' true work ', inevitably it was a provocation vis-à-vis employees, "said the leader of the CFDT.

The gathering for the "real work" experienced as a provocation

This tension between supporters and non supporters ended up in the trade union demonstration in Paris, at the call of the Inter-CGT-CFDT, UNSA, FSU Partners, which is part of the Place Denfert-Rochereau to Bastille join. In processions, political banners were rare, less numerous in any case that the union banners. But nobody is fooled: the May 1 labor has a taste very pronounced anti-Sarko.  

"I think that a union did not call for a vote for individual candidates, but personally, I am here to denounce Sarkozy's attempt to divide the workers," says Marie-Ange, CFDT activist. "I do not want the union leaders give voting instructions, unions must maintain their political independence," added Francis, UNSA activist. "Me that does not bother me to call to vote against Sarkozy, after all the harm he has done for five years," Basil gets angry, militant South rails. "A May 1, which takes place between the two rounds of presidential elections, it is inevitably a little politics, says Cedric, South Solidarity activist, even if it is above all a day to defend trade union rights of employees els" .  

"If we are here is to turn the other con"

Gilbert, activist Left Front

The side of activists of the Left Front, present in large numbers in the procession in Paris, the mobilization against Nicolas Sarkozy is clearly assumed. "The line between political and trade union is artificial," says Eric. "If we are here today is to turn the other con", ignites Gilbert. "The real work is provocative," says Eddy. Indeed, the challenge from Nicolas Sarkozy to the unions, organizing a demonstration against-the "real work", resulted in a greater mobilization expected. "We will never show on May 1, but that there was provocation, we are flush and tired of Sarkozy," Christine and Stéphane entrusted, along with their three children.

Who won this showdown? Some 200,000 UMP met Trocadero today, according to the UMP. Police currently does not count but made a police source disclosed that the place could hold 30,000 people. The unions in turn counted 750,000 demonstrators across France this May 1, 2012 including 250,000 in Paris while police counted only 48,000 demonstrators in the capital.

Household consumption fell by 2.9% in March

French consumer spending on goods fell 2.9% in March, erasing the equivalent rebound registered the previous month (3.0% in the first estimate) , according to data released Friday by INSEE.

Throughout the first quarter, growth in household spending on consumer goods rose 0.2% after rising 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2011. Over one year, from March 2011 to March 2012, however, they contract by 2.0%.

The decline in consumption of goods recorded in March was due to falling energy costs (-11.3% compared to February) and to a lesser extent to decline in food expenditures (-2.3%).

The 17 economists polled by Reuters on average expected a 1.9% decline in consumer spending on goods in March.

Santander publishes a quarterly net profit down 24%

Santander said Thursday net profit down 24% in the first quarter as a result of provisions made in part to cover an increase in defaults in Spain.

Spanish banks increase their capital to cover a funding gap of tens of billions of euros, this resulting in a situation where they had taken to going to an all- booming real estate sector until 2008 but has since become damaged.

Some investors fear that the deficit increased to the extent that more and more households and businesses are in default in a country in recession. In which case, a bailout would prove international may need, they think.

The largest bank in the euro area has reported a profit of 1.6 billion euros, above the consensus, after setting aside 3.1 billion euros provisions. The percentage of bad and doubtful debts to total loans increased to 3.98% in late March.

Around 7:50 GMT, action Santander fell by 1.22% at the Madrid Stock Exchange, while the European banking sector index was virtually unchanged at the same time.

The bank, which has strong income in Latin America, should constitute the bulk of its provisions on real estate assets in the second half doubtful, as its rival BBVA.

The decrease in profits in Spain and Portugal, where defects are up, but they also contracted in Latin America.

Recovery within 3 months of buyback of shares to the ECB

The European Central Bank (ECB) will resume its share buyback program of sovereign debt of countries in the euro area in the course of the next three months because of high yields on securities of different countries and relapse into recession in the block, show the results of a Reuters poll of economists from.

Three quarters of survey participants believe the central bank will resume its work on sovereign debt to lower yields and a large majority of them expect it to intervene in the three coming months. 

"The renewed tensions on the bond markets can provide an alarm loud enough to wake the share buyback program," said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec, in reference to the purchase program of sovereign debt in the euro area the ECB has shelved for six weeks.

"There is nothing imminent, but we feel that this should not be too far off," continued Philip Shaw.

The ECB had reactivated its share buyback program in August after four months of interruption while the sovereign debt of Italy and Spain were attacked. 

The lull caused by the announcement and the implementation of two unlimited refinancing operations to three years in December and February, which resulted in the injection of more of 1,000 billion euros liquiditésa led to a muting of the program.

The representatives of the ECB, and its chairman Mario Draghi himself Wednesday, had clearly said that the ball was now in the court of governments regarding new measures to support the activity.

Yields on sovereign debt in Spain ten years, however, have recently crossed the threshold of 6.0%, considered difficult to sustain over time. 

The ECB has already acquired the equivalent of 200 billion sovereign debt while sterilizing its interventions by a withdrawal of an equivalent amount of liquidity to the banking system avoid monetization of public debt that its statutes forbid it.

The first results of the survey from Markit purchasing managers (PMI) for the euro area in April released Monday showed an increased contraction of activity in the private sector.

According to a previous Reuters poll of economists from the euro area is expected to moderate recession until the third quarter of this year. 

The ECB lowered its main rate at a record low of 1.0% in December, should not change it in one way or another before 2014, according to the forecast EM diane of economists surveyed this week.

Only one economist told to expect the ECB to lower its main rate by a quarter point at the next meeting of its Board of Governors, May 3

The gasoline prices recede

This is the first time since the beginning of the pump price move downward. But they remain at a high level. Per liter of diesel appears to 1.4295 euro.

The price of unleaded petrol and diesel at the pump fell last week, moving downward for the first time since January even if they remain at high levels, according to weekly surveys released Monday by the Ministry of sustainable development.

Per liter of diesel, the most fuel sold in France (over 80% of sales) fell to 1.4295 euro against 1.4362 a week earlier, away even further from its historic high (1.4584 euro) established in mid-March. Side of gasoline, a liter of unleaded 95 (approximately 15% of fuel sales) declined to 1.6507 euro against 1.6664 euro to a record last week, unleaded and 98 (about 5% the national fuel consumption) fell to 1.7001 euro, 1.7095 against euro a week earlier (and after peaking at 1.7121 euro at the beginning).

These sales prices at the pump are national averages calculated by the Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC) from data provided by service stations and are greatly exceeded in some service stations. This is the first time since late January that the three fuel categories appear all down, according to statements DGEC.  

Proposal competition for candidates at the Elysee Palace

Since late 2011, fuel prices have been drawn into a spiral upward, due to geopolitical tensions (Iran, Sudan, Nigeria …) that keep crude oil prices at very high levels, and weakening of the euro against the dollar adds to the cost of black gold once its converted value in the European currency.

Unleaded gasoline and had hit a new record last week for the sixth consecutive week, while 98 unleaded climbed from summit to summit without interruption from February until early April, and the oil had chained the Records from February until mid-March. The surge in fuel prices, which hit motorists portfolio, triggered a competition for proposals and cons-proposals from the candidates in the presidential election. The Socialist Francois Hollande, who arrived Sunday ahead of the first turn, pledged if elected to block the fuel prices for three months, a measure deemed absurd and demagogic by outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy, who will play at the second round scheduled on May 6

The former trader Jerome Kerviel SocGen complaint against

The former trader Jerome Kerviel has filed a complaint against Societe Generale judgment for fraud, said Friday his lawyer, David Koubbi, in an interview on Europe 1.

"We filed a complaint against Societe Generale today the judgment for fraud," he advised me Koubbi.

"What interests us is that our complaint is welcomed," he added.

Kerviel was sentenced in 2010 to five years in prison and three farms to repay 4.9 billion euros, an amount corresponding to the loss suffered by the SocGen trading in January in 2008.

His appeal to be held from 4 to 28 June 2012.

Pierre & Vacances suffers suffers electoral calendar

Pierre & Vacances said Thursday that its summer bookings were marked by a phenomenon linked to a wait for Uncertain but also schedule e lectoral French. 

The group specializes in the operation of leisure residences said they adapted accordingly its communication strategy by focusing on short-term and shifting from May to June most its shares trade on summer vacation

To this day, "activity is slightly above last year during the months of April and May, with last minute bookings significant," reads said in a statement

For the second quarter of fiscal year 2011-2012, Pierre & Vacances has published a turnover up 4% on a comparable supported by its activity in property development. 

Over this period, they stand at 304.3 million euros, of which 250.9 million euros in tourism (-0.7%) and 53.4 million (+34%) in the de real estate development

For the full year 2011-2012, the company expects a turnover level of real estate "around 300 million euros".

The action Pierre & Vacances closed Thursday at 21.66 euros (-1.46%) it transferred 15.46% since the beginning of the year after a fall of 57.57% last year.

Italy has revised downwards its growth forecast

The government of Mario Monti expects a decline of 1.2% of GDP for 2012, against an anticipated 0.4% decline in December. And return to a balanced budget is delayed. "Reforms should increase growth by 2.4% between 2012 and 2020," according to the government of Mario Monti.

The Italian government on Wednesday revised downwards its forecast for gross domestic product (GDP) for 2012, providing for a contraction of 1.2% against a 0.4% decline in the last official forecast from December. He at the same time delayed its planned return to balanced budgets, expecting a deficit of 0.5% in 2013 (instead of 0.1% predicted), in a statement issued at the end of a cabinet.

This forecast remains "in compliance" with the Covenant which provides that the European budget deficit must remain below 0.5%, says the text. One aspect stressed by the Head of Government Mario Monti at a press conference: "The Treaty (European Pact on budget) requires each Member State there is in each country a deficit not exceeding the 0.5% of GDP, "he said. "The government estimates that GDP will contract by 1.2% in 2012 to turn positive again in 2013 (0.5%) and speed over the two successive years (1 and 1.2% respectively)," the statement said . "This will allow the public debt (…) to fall to 120.3% (of GDP) in 2012 to 110.8% in 2015," said the government.

"The debt is on a path of gradual but sustainable," noted Mario Monti in its reasoning accompanying the new government's economic forecasts. "Despite progress, there is still a long way to go, in a more favorable but still characterized by elements of uncertainty," he adds.

For the government of Mario Monti, "the action of financial balance has been accompanied by the adoption of various reform measures aimed at removing the main obstacles that have hindered the growth potential of Italy. Based on estimates government, reforms should increase growth by 2.4% between 2012 and 2020, "said he. "We must revive growth in the context of a model of fiscal stability and this is the way to build a modern economy and social market," said Mr Monti, saying that "growth is the most large préoccuptation "Italians.

"We fight every day to avoid the dramatic fate of Greece," he said. "This crisis requires a very high cost to families, youth, workers, businesses and sometimes these experiences are completed in despair," he said in a grave tone evoking directly to contractors suicides occurred recently. "There were 1,725 ​​suicides, it is the dramatic effects of the crisis," he said.

The President of the Council also strongly condemned tax evasion, promising a fight against this scourge in Italy. "The commitment to fight against tax evasion responds to reasons of justice. Evasion is between companies unfair competition and a way in which citizens dishonest cause harm to other citizens, causing pressure (fiscal note) higher, "he said.

Map of Bordeaux vineyards passed under the Chinese flag

Château de Viaud in Patache, through the Grand Mouëys, discover new properties fell into the hands of the Middle Kingdom. Since 2011, redemptions accelerated.

The wave of takeovers of Chinese vineyards in the Bordeaux region has increased since 2011. At least a dozen properties were acquired by the Chinese last year. And since the beginning of the year, four transactions were concluded. Among them, the sale of Grand Mouëys in mid-February to Jinshan Zhang, the founder of a major Chinese producer of alcohol goji berries.

And the trend could increase its intensity. This is the month that predicted Jean-Luc Coupet, creator of Wine Bankers, a reference to the wine market transactions. For him, "in this wave of buying, the biggest deals yet to come." The Chinese market is already the leading destination for exports of Bordeaux wines, with about 436,000 hectoliters shipped representing 334 million euros. Besides the 100,000 hectoliters sold in Hong Kong, for 348 million euros. China would it be the future of Bordeaux?

Here are our full investigation "Harvest in the Bordelais Chinese"

The recent Chinese acquisitions in the Bordeaux Appellation Names Purchase Date Buyer Village 1. High Brisson St. Emilion Peter Kwok, Taiwan 1997 Vignonet 2. Latour-Laguens Entre-deux-mers Haiyan Cheng (Longhai Group) 2008 St-Martin-du-Puy 3. Richelieu Fronsac A & A, Hong Kong 2009 Fronsac 4. Old Cy Zhejiang Brondeau Libourne Saint-Earth 2009 5. Chenu Lafitte Cotes de Bourg village Group Haichang 2010-sur-Gironde 6. Viaud Lalande de Pomerol-Cofco 2011 Lalande de Pomerol 7. Laulan Ducos Medoc Richard Shen (Tesiro) 2011 Jau-Dignac-and-Loirac 8. Lagarosse Cotes de Bordeaux Carlico, Hong Kong 2011 Tabanac 9. La Salle Cotes de Blaye 2011 Zhongai Saint-Genes-de-Blaye 10. Monlot Saint-Emilion Zhao Wei and Huang You Long 2011 11 St. Hippolyte. Lafon Listrac Marvelake Listrac-Médoc 2011 Wine 12. Barateau High Medoc Wine Marvelake 2011 Saint-Laurent-Médoc 13. The Bourguette Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux Beverly Koo, Hong Kong nc Saint-Philippe-du-Seignal 14. Lezongars Between the two world seas Dashang 2011 Villenave de Rions 15. La Roche Pressac Cotes de Castillon Skyvast Properties, Hong Kong 2011 Saint Magne de Castillon 16. The Patache Pomerol Peter Kwok, Taiwan 17 2011 Saint-Emilion. Grand Branet Entre-deux-mers 2011 Capian Cheng Qu 18. Branda Puisseguin-Cheng Qu Saint-Emilion 2011 Puisseguin 19. Laurette St. Croix-Mount Cheng Qu 2011 Sainte-Croix-du-Mont 20. Thébot Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux Cheng Qu 2011 Saint-André-and-Appelles 21. Tour-Saint-Christophe Saint-Emilion Peter Kwok, Taiwan 2011 St. Christophe-des-Bardes 22. Bertranon St. Croix-du-Mont Meng Gao Loupiac 2012 23. Between Cugat-deux-mers 2012 n.c. Blasimon 24. Grand Mouëys Entre-deux-mers Jinshan Zhang (Ningxiahong) 2012 Capian

The advertising Maurice Levy defends his bonus

Maurice Levy, chief executive of Publicis Groupe, Saturday defended the bonus of more than 16 million that has been granted and which had been criticized by Many political.

"This is a deferred compensation that is to say, it has been accumulated over the years," he said on RTL.

"It's nine years during which there was a requirement (…) which was to outperform (…) If I had my match bonuses each year, person never would have spoken, "he added, acknowledging that this was" big money "and understand that this saying may be shocking.

Maurice Levy said he regretted a form of political recovery of the amount of his bonus in full campaign period. 

Without naming them, he estimated that some politicians had decided to be seized "or because they were out of the program, either because they were out of political jurisdiction or simply because they wanted to flatter the base instincts of what is known as the populism ".

"We're saying success is prohibited when it is accompanied by an economic success," he said.

The advertising we found would have "done better" to ask him what he would do this bonus, but without any answer to this question.

Publicis revealed in its 2011 reference document that Maurice Levy would receive approximately 16.2 million euros in accumulated deferred variable compensation ; art since 2003. 

The PS candidate Francois Hollande felt it was "not acceptable" that people receive such a sum in times of crisis "where everyone has to make efforts." The government spokesman Valérie Pécresse also found "disproportionate" as a bonus.

As for Nicolas Sarkozy, who promised, if elected, to introduce stricter control of very high salaries, he expanded his conviction of the person Elisabeth Badinter, the daughter of the founder and main shareholder of the group Publicis. Stressing that it has "left heart", the president criticized the socialist candidate to condemn the bonus Maurice Levy without associate.