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"If I am elected, I do not gèlerai, but I stoop down the salary of the president and ministers of 30%." By November 2011, Francois Hollande had made the campaign promise very symbolic, while Nicolas Sarkozy marked the spirits in increase of 172% net salary (of 7,084 to 19,331 euros) on arrival at the Elysee. Invited on France 2 on Wednesday night, the new prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, announced that this commitment would be the first of his government. Hardly installed at Matignon, he will propose a 30% drop in the wages of members of government from the first cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon. "This is exemplary," said he explained. This measure will be a decree, he said.

The gross monthly salary of Ministers will be up to 14,200 euros per month, to 9,940 euros. That of the Prime Minister will also be trimmed from 21,200 euros to 14,840 euros gross. Like, finally, the compensation of the President of the Republic. With a plane that has a surprising consequence. Ex-Ministers continue to earn more than their successors for another six months. Indeed, each team member Francois Fillon retain his salary during this period. A privilege granted to all former ministers, who lose their theory, however, other benefits.

Largest decline in Europe

If they come later than in other European countries, this decline in compensation of government is by far the strongest. One of the first to take this measure, as he tried to impose on his country a vast austerity plan, was the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen. From 2009, he had reduced his salary and that of his ministers by 15%. In the process, in May 2010, Spain followed the movement by announcing a 15% reduction of salaries of its ministers. In the UK, the British prime minister, David Cameron, newly installed in power, his ministers imposed a 5% decrease in their pay. A dry diet made subsequently by Italy and Portugal, among others.

In Europe a constraint to fiscal Germany still appears a prosperous island. While the German economy grew by 2% annual rate in the first quarter, Angela Merkel and her ministers were granted for the first time in twelve years an increase of wages. The Cabinet decided on Wednesday to a 5.7% increase in three stages by August 2013, bringing the salary of Angela Merkel to about 17,016 euros gross per month and those of his ministers to about 13,795 euros.  

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This is the latest idea to exonerate Blédina moms give their babies prepared foods. The subsidiary of Danone, France's leading infant nutrition market with 48.6% (against 23.4% for Nestle), will launch next month the first cooked dishes, compotes and other small pots sold in the fresh. Dubbed Blédina Day, this range of twenty-seven references (savory dishes, desserts …) is for toddlers from 4 to 12 months.

It took three years to Blédina and more than 10 million investment to develop these products, manufactured at its plant in Brive (Corrèze). Their launch, first in the large hypermarkets and Monoprix in Paris, will run until 2013. If successful, Europe is already in sight.

Fifty years after inventing the small glass jar, Blédina intends to revolutionize the consumption patterns. The company even provided dedicated refrigerators to hypermarkets, which will be placed in the middle of the radius baby. "We want to find moms who have moved away from these products because of the taste and rally those who have never been consumers with products that are as close as possible to the home-made," says Didier Lamblin, who took the Blédina reins last September. Approximately 30% of mothers are still reluctant to provide any dishes made with their babies and prefer them to concoct a homemade mashed potatoes. In total, more than half of the consumption of children aged 0 to 3 years which is made of non-specific products.

Revive the category

So, even if the French babies are the first consumers in the world of small pots and other dishes cooked (115 kg per year per child), tied with the English, partly because of prior trademarks and the number of active women, the growth potential remains high no fax pay day loan. This market, which weighs 1.2 billion euros (including 85% in supermarkets), has been stagnant for three years after experiencing an average growth of 6 to 7% from 2001 to 2008. He even saw its volumes fall by 3% over the last six months. "We have never experienced such a decline in this market," says Didier Lamblin, which reflects the constraints of purchasing power of French households. The purchase of small pots and other dishes (48% market share) has been most impacted by the economic environment than baby milk (52% market share), considered essential.

There was therefore urgent to revitalize the category. Especially as Nestlé, challenger in France, put the package last year to revive its brand NaturNes. Which enabled him to win a point of market share. "We are optimistic that growth will be as fresh to the radius of up to 25% of the category," said Didier Lamblin.

To convince moms, Blédina has chosen to focus on the naturalness, the culinary virtues and taste. On white background, packaging puts forward the product recipe and origin 100% French ingredients. Blédina also preferred product availability, crisis requires (from 1.69 euro to 3.70 euro reference).  

Another initiative at Danone, Gallia will launch its brand by the end of an economy size baby milk in the form of a bag-in-Box, for the most modest budgets.

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The confrontation was not as strong in the government of Angela Merkel since the controversial reform of the Bundeswehr. The center-right coalition headed by Chancellor, is torn for weeks about family policy. The bill providing for the introduction of a bonus for parents raising their children at home instead of placing them in a nursery or kindergarten, the Betreuungsgeld, causing great controversy across the Rhine. His critics believe that this will discourage women seeking to balance motherhood and work, when the German labor market already sorely lacking manpower.

The draft Betreuungsgeld is supported by the Conservative party leadership Merkel (CDU) and its Bavarian ally, the CSU, a stickler for traditional family values. In Bavaria, the tradition of the "three Ks" (Kinder, Küche, Kirche – "children, kitchen, church") continues to weigh heavily on women. The grant, which should be between 100 and 150 euros per child under 3's home, is supposed to be passed before the summer for implementation in January 2013. The Conservatives say they want to do and "evidence of heart." "The premium will be adopted and no concessions," warns Christine Haderthauer, Social Affairs Minister of Bavaria.

"Prime the stove"

But critics of the project are growing within the CDU and liberal allies in Merkel, who threaten to vote against it in the Bundestag. Philipp Rösler, deputy chancellor and patron of the Free Democrats, believes that "the objective of facilitating the reconciliation of family and professional life" is threatened by the grant. Unions and management are, in unison, standing against the wind project called the "premium in the kitchen." Dieter Hundt, president of BDA, the German employers, claiming "the abandonment of this project fundamentally harmful."

They see it as a barrier to women entering the labor market, a crucial issue for Germany. The premium would encourage mothers to stay home for years to keep their children, jeopardizing their chances of finding employment. The birth rate is already reflected in an acute shortage of manpower across the Rhine. Federation of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) estimates the loss of 400,000 skilled workers annually. By 2030, the German working population is projected to decline by a quarter, he predicts. Immigration, but also working women are supposed to compensate. Difficulties in reconciling the birth of a child and continue to work stopping the fertility rate across the Rhine, with 1.3 children per woman is one of the lowest in the EU.

Opponents of the project also felt that the premium balance of harms children by delaying their adaptation to life in society, and the chances of the poor, whose awakening would be delayed.

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Relations already chilly between Canal + and the Competition Authority has further strained a little more. Without much surprise, the Sages of the Rue de l'Echelle decided to open a detailed examination phase of the acquisition of two free DTT channels Direct 8 Direct Star by Canal + with the Bolloré Group.

This decision follows a first round of talks between the policeman of the competition and Groupe Canal + on remedies for this operation. The concern of the competition authority is that Canal + uses its dominant position in the acquisition of broadcasting rights for pay-TV rights to negotiate jointly for future free channels. Clearly, the danger is that Canal + is negotiating with the U.S. studios' rights sets for both Canal + and Direct 8. Thus, the group led by Mr. Meheut could oust TF1, M6, or any other chain of the DTT market with the acquisition of rights. For example, the rights for pay-TV Desperate Housewives (produced by ABC) are owned by Canal + when those same rights for free TV are the M6. The competition authority wants to avoid in the future, that same series is broadcast on Canal + and then on Direct 8.

Second concern: the Canal + group has a film studio, Studio Canal +, which sells movies all free channels after a stint on Canal +. The competition watchdog wants to prevent the films from Studio Canal ending up systematically on Direct 8 over other competing channels cheap business cards.

These key points have been part of negotiations open between Canal + and the competition authority since 21 February. Canal + was proposed in late March, a series of commitments. But they were written so that these commitments do not seem to be very restrictive, was then analyzed the competition authority.

It must be said that the competition watchdog has been scalded by the attitude of Canal +. Five years after the acquisition of TPS by Canal + in 2006, The Competition Authority has, uncharacteristically, withdrew the repurchase authorization. the reason? Canal + has not fulfilled a number of the 57 commitments he then took. Including the fact of maintaining the quality of the channel TPS Star, premium channel distributed by all the competing platforms CanalSat.

Remedies imposed

Worse, even as the competition authority has opened new negotiations on the purchase of TPS, Canal + decided to close its chain altogether TPS Star. A decision that was very badly received by the Sages of the Rue de l'Echelle.

In deciding a thorough review of the acquisition of Direct 8 Direct and Star, the competition authority wants to put pressure on Canal +. Either it offers significant remedies or the competition authority to impose under the injunctive unilateral. Both parties have until July to agree.

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Here the French have six new channels which will be launched next fall on their screens. The Higher Audiovisual Council has indeed make its decision after weeks of suspense: HD1 (TF1), 6TER (M6), L'Equipe TV (Amaury Group), RMC Discovery (NextRadioTV), Cherie HD (NRJ) and diversity come tYou then enrich the current offer of 19 free channels.

The regulator has chosen, through this new offering, to reinforce the historical groups such as TF1 and M6 and strengthen those who made their debut in 2005 in television and are shown in good students, c ' ie groups and NRJ NextRadioTV. This is economic prudence that guided the wise men of the nine Tour Mirabeau in this new spectrum allocation.

But the wireless landscape is also open to new themes and new competition. The Team with HD, the French will be able to access the first sports channel for free. Enough to enable the latter who experienced the greatest difficulties exist in the depths of cable and satellite to survive and not to close shop.

TYou chain diversity is itself the only one not to be owned by a media group. It brings together financiers and businessmen (Xavier Niel, Francois Henri Pinault) seduced by the ideal one to showcase the diversity. The choice of the CSA is easily explained when we know the care that its members and its president Michel Boyon brought about diversity.

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A return to basics. The model presented by Labour Minister, Xavier Bertrand, and Secretary of State for SMEs, Frédéric Lefebvre aims to make more readable the information contained in the earnings statement

Its implementation, however, requires a harmonization of the calculation of contributions that will be done in two stages payday advance.

Since the beginning of the campaign, the Business Institute is screening the proposals of the major candidates. Holland in the program, the single most "budget-" would be the creation of 200,000 contracts "generation" every year. This device is for a company to keep a senior until his full retirement and hire the same time a young person under 25 years, with exemption of social contributions on both jobs for three years. It would weigh between 7.6 and 8.3 billion euros per year, at the end of the quinquennium.

Besides, the cost of 150,000 "jobs of the future" seems almost weightless! It would reach 823 million, including exemptions from employer contributions for – minority – of these jobs in the private sector. More expensive would be the possibility to retire at age 60 and full rate for those who have paid 41 years: $ 4 cheap credit report.5 billion in 2017.

Some measures in the bill forgotten

As for the passage of 75% to 50% by 2025 the nuclear share of electricity generation – which means "to increase the share of non-renewable energy from 15% to 40%" – it would cost 1, 8 billion to the state in 2017, in the form of tax loopholes (and double for the consumer as higher electricity prices).

Finally, the independent think tank the valid order of magnitude announced by the PS 20 billion in additional government spending per year, a lame, totally financed by tax increases. In this detail: some measures have been forgotten in the bill – including all those evaluated today by the Business Institute!

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17 billion euros in investments, 164,000 jobs directly and 97,000 indirectly. Which to house the mammoth project? Madrid against Barcelona: the contenders are the most powerful cities of Spain … and two eternal rivals, in politics as on the football field.

A funny clásico, fanned by a singular trophy: the U.S. company Las Vegas Sands wants to establish in Spain's largest casino complex on the Old Continent. "Eurovegas" must be the European version of the world capital of the game Six casinos, 36,000 hotel rooms, three golf courses, a 15,000-seat auditorium

.

The figures, astronomical, are salivating entrepreneurs and politicians, while the country is mired in negative growth and an unemployment rate near 23%. The real estate engine "miracle" Spanish is down. Regions and municipalities in crisis seek relays create jobs and tax revenue.

In desperation, local politicians are suitable for all investors games. Left to take a project still vague for a real growth driver. Leaves to forget that five years ago, a similar idea had generated the same enthusiasm in Aragon, before developers do not suddenly reverse.

Barcelona or Madrid? Sheldon Adelson, owner of Las Vegas Sands, hesitates. After a year of study and 7.6 million euros spent, however, the decision must fall rapidly before the summer, the billionaire promises.

Rebates and exemptions

His communications director, Ron Reese, said the two cities "are tied." The project, said Reese, who will go to that show the more "flexible". The list of requirements is long Adelson as a letter to Santa. His company is seeking exemptions from social contributions and tax rebates. She wants the standards against money laundering to be relaxed to facilitate, she said, remittances players. Besides other applications wackiest, like creating a MBA in the gaming industry, or the lifting of the ban on smoking in rooms.

These requirements seem exorbitant to upset any politician. In Barcelona, ​​we recall that the project needs to attract 11 million visitors. "Quality tourism" believes the President of Catalonia, Artur Mas.

In Madrid, the figure of 260,000 jobs dizzy: it represents half the number of unemployed in the region. The president of the autonomous government, Esperanza Aguirre, has promised to make "all necessary legal modifications, as they do not violate [its] principles."

Demonstration in Madrid

Thousands of people rallied Sunday in the streets of Madrid to the appeal of unions, against labor reform implemented by the government the right to fight against unemployment, the mobilization test before a general strike scheduled for March 29.

The two main Spanish unions, UGT and CCOO, have called for demonstrations in 60 cities in Spain, to protest a reform they deem "unfair and ineffective" and "defense of public services".

Carrying red flags and placards with the words "no budget cuts", "No to social regression", shouting "we will not pay their debts with health and education", thousands of protesters stormed the center Madrid. 

The Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy adopted on February 11 for further reform of labor market flexibility, including lower redundancy payments and measures to stimulate youth employment.

This is the latest find from Danone to encourage Parisians to drink mineral water and prevent them drop out in favor of tap water. Since Monday, the group delivers home bottles of Evian, Badoit, Volvic, and Salvetat Taillefine. After ordering on the site evianchezvous.com, customers are delivered in 48 hours. A free service from 15 euros purchase.

After two years of testing in the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris, Danone extends this service to all of the capital and four nearby municipalities: Issy-les-Moulineaux, Boulogne, Neuilly and Levallois. "For most consumers, bear packs of water is the main obstacle to the purchase, said Frédéric Guichard, Chief Marketing Officer of Danone Waters France. Families who have tested delivery increased significantly their consumption, even if they were not necessarily repeat customers or regular customers of e-commerce. "

The average order of products offered "prices of supermarkets in Paris" is 20 euros, an amount equal to 36 bottles of Evian. Service direct sales, that is "complementary" shopping and home delivery offers existing (Hooray Telemarket, monoprix.fr …), should be profitable next year.

"Evianchezvous is only one example of our commitment to continually reinvent our business, assures Veronica Penchienati, CEO of Danone Waters France. Our product does not change, except for a few flavors, and we must therefore stimulate the market otherwise. "

The price of tap water highly competitive

After several years of decline, including a sharp drop of 6% in 2007 and 2008, the market for bottled water is rising again since 2010. Last year growth was 2.8% by volume, more performance due to the efforts of different actors as the weather, ensures Danone. "Among us alone, investments have increased by about 5% annually since 2008," said the leader.

Danone Eaux France, second largest in volume behind Nestlé (Vittel, Contrex, Perrier, San Pellegrino …), estimated to reap the benefits of its strategy to reconcile the French with mineral water. Last year, the worldwide turnover of the cluster (15% of the group's activity) increased by 15.7%, and "about 5%" in France. "All brands have seen sales growth in supermarkets, such as restoration," said Veronique Penchienati.

To continue to attract consumers this year and thus consolidate its leading position in value, both in restaurants and stores for Evian and Badoit in restaurants, bottles of two brands were redesigned. At a price of 4 euros per pack of 6 bottles of Badoit and about 3 euros for Evian, the danger of a consumer arbitration in favor of tap water, however, grows with the crisis. "The price increase will be less than 1%, against 2% in 2010," says Veronique Penchienati, convinced of the impact of marketing events and promotions, which will remain at a high level.

Players, presidents, unions, political. Everyone went to his little reaction after the proposal of François Hollande to tax at 75% share of annual revenues in excess of one million euros. In the world of football, many are quick to talk about "death of football."

Starting with the president of the Professional Football League (LFP), Frederic Thiriez. "If this proposal is successful, the championship of France would obviously be relegated to the second European division, he said Thursday on RMC. Our best players, who are in a global market, would leave. " Many players in the image of Christophe Jallet, PSG defender, and have criticized the proposal of the Socialist candidate, regretting that "working for nothing" with the application of such a measure. The club president of Lille, Michel Seydoux, even acknowledges, in Le Parisien, he could leave his post if the measure was adopted. "If I have more viewers, I shall never reach even to pay the rent for my new stadium," he says.

President of the Union of professional football clubs (UCPF), Philippe Diallo, insists on the 'cons-productive "of this measure:" When Beckham was announced at PSG, everyone has stigmatized the salary that the PSG would have paid (a gross monthly salary of 800,000 euros was mentioned, Ed). But we did not talk about the 15 million it would have reported to the State tax. "

Sports Minister, David Douillet, even the loss figure to one billion euros for the French professional football. "The 600 million coming from taxation of French football will disappear, the 5% tax Buffet (the share of TV rights of football donated to other sports) will also disappear because there will be more rights TV ". He said that if the football stars leave the French league, broadcasters are less willing to pay as much for broadcasting the games. He added: "300 million for the stadium in Lille, 200 million for the Jean Bouin stadium in Paris, all funded by public money, which no longer serve for nothing!"

"The players left France when they are taxed more"

There is not that football players who would have to pay more taxes. This new tax would also be a blow for football clubs. "It is death and not club football players," says Philippe Diallo. More and more players are quick to add in their contract a provision that any change in tax would be borne by their employer. In other words, whatever the tax rate, net pay remains the same. "These clauses are mainly foreign players the highest paid who do not always know the tax rules in force in their host country. One third of the French league is composed of foreign players, "says Philippe Diallo. According to Le Parisien / Today in France, if the measure of Francois Hollande was to come, Qatari investors should pay no less than 100 million euros for ten players from affecting Parisian club two million euros net per year.

Without giving financial details, the president of the UCPF explains this development by the stranglehold of EU legislation on that of the Hexagon. "In most other countries, including England players are negotiating their salary in" net-net ", that is to say, net of expenses and net of tax. When they come to France, they impose this rule. So, to buy our players in Ligue 1, the foreign clubs will not even need to offer a higher salary than they receive in France. " If the "tax Holland" was to come into application, then the players might be tempted to leave the championship. "Football clubs are essentially local businesses who pay their taxes in France, where the players are mobile people, since the Bosman *, have always left France when they were taxed more than their European counterparts "says Philippe Diallo. One way to point the finger at the lack of "patriotism", a theme dear to Francois Hollande, football players.

* Named after the Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bosman, whose club, FC Liege refused his transfer to Dunkerque. The player took the case to the Court of Justice of European Communities and won his trial, 15 December 1995.

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