A new world record price for a camera was reached on Saturday with 2.16 million euros for a unit of the German brand Leica, dating from 1923. The sale, organized by the Galerie Westlicht, held in Vienna.
Only 25 prototypes of the pre-series were manufactured by Leica. Photo credits: LEONHARD FOEGER / REUTERS
Candidates with strong personalities, verbal jousting, a dose of suspense, … presidential election, the highlight of French political life, provides a golden opportunity for brands to stand out for their creativity. For some of them, it is even the opportunity to make themselves known. Among them, the Paris Chocolate brand, created last year, did speak of her with boxes of chocolates bearing the image of candidates. Popilz society, which wants to start selling humorous figurines inspired by celebrities, moved, for his part, since its April 23 first characters in the image of Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. MarionDem, young designer who launched last December the lingerie brand Panty Me, launched panties printed with the colors of the candidates. Best known and oldest brand Reunion sorry! commercialized a reversible shirt if we hesitate to support the UMP candidate or PS free instant credit score.
In these operations, profitability is not often visit. "We know that this is not a shirt to wear every day. We especially want to build brand awareness, "said Peter Marten, founder of the brand sorry! that focuses on products related to humorous news. Even at the risk a fine for infringement of image rights, as in 2008. At Popilz also, "the goal is not to make profits but to come forward and test the market," says Bastien Rochard, manager of the company. "The presidential election is the best time to create awareness around a brand. Citizens and the media only talk about it for a month. This is an opportunity to talk with humor. "
The figurine "Zarkface", inspired by Nicolas Sarkozy and sold by Popilz. DR
In 2012, the autonomous communities must get their deficits below 1.5% of GDP. Regularly pinned by the rating agencies and international observers, the regions represent about 35% of public expenditure in Spain. In 2011, it is these governments that have caused much of the slippage in the government deficit of 6% of GDP in Brussels promised to 8.51% finally recognized. The Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy for stepping up the pressure as they bend to the rule of austerity.
First step, last Saturday: Rajoy has met 11 of the 17 regional presidents, those belonging to his training, the Popular Party (PP). Verdict: "I have seen an optimal response on the part of all the administrations involved, said the chief executive. Resigned, if you want, but in any case committed to implementing their new obligations. "In short, regions need to update their budgets to take account of national accounts. For transfers from central government will be limited. The second stage took place on Wednesday, with the call of the Minister of Health, Ana Mato, regional leaders. Health is, with education, the main item of expenditure of the autonomous communities. But Madrid has decided to trim 7 billion on the health budget.
Retirees will pay more for their drugs
For weeks, regional presidents have launched trial balloons and explored new avenues for spending less: institution of user fees on consultations or on drugs, reducing the range of treatments offered for free or recentralization of health administration.
Today, Mato wants to push self-governments in the same direction. First announcement: retirees must pay for their drugs. So far, they were exempt, and now they shall pay 10% of the price indicated on the label, to a maximum of 18 euros per month. As for the assets, also will pay more business cards design. The bill would vary between 50 and 60% of the total price, depending on the tax form to every Spaniard. For now, all assets pay the same rate, 40% of the actual price. This new pricing should help save 3.7 billion euros.
The central government intends to finally exercise its watchdog role accounts. Before the end of the month, the autonomous communities must show in Madrid a "plan of financial imbalances" detailing the measures to restore the accounts. On Wednesday, Secretary of State for the Regions has threatened regions lax. "The Autonomous Communities may be subject to intervention if they are unable to meet their financial obligations," said Antonio Beteta. In other words, Madrid could take control in areas too spendthrift. A revolution in one of the most decentralized countries in Europe.
Banks: a peak of bad debts
Spanish banks are muddy in the economic crisis. In February, the rate of bad loans reached 8.2%. This is a record since 1994: the beginning of 1997, impaired loans did not exceed 1% of total loans. In one month, outstanding loans to businesses or people at risk of insolvency has increased by 3.8 billion to $ 144 billion. The austerity measures introduced by the Government to reduce the country's deficit partly explain this further deterioration. She falls ill while Madrid multiplies remediation plans to try to reassure international investors about the soundness of its banking sector.
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Like it or not, a sort of "peer government" is trying to establish in Europe. No national economic policy can now be released from the judgment of its neighbors and European authorities themselves, for better or for worse. While Spain had suffered fire Tuesday in financial markets, with the key rumors of a possible bailout like the programs in place for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the German Government and the European Central Bank have seen fit to act as surety moral Wednesday, and in almost identical terms.
"Spain has undertaken major reforms in several areas, including finance, labor market and the banking sector," said Johannes Blankenheim in Berlin, the spokesman of the Ministry of Finance. "We regret that the markets have not yet acknowledged the enormous reform efforts," he added.
Almost simultaneously, but in Paris, Benedict Cœuré, one of six members of the ECB executive, developed the same argument. "The new government (in Spanish) has taken strong decisions … What is happening in the markets does not reflect the fundamentals (of the Spanish economy)." And the ECB representative, who attended a conference organized by the AFTE (French Association of Corporate Treasurers), joined the action to the word: "The ECB could intervene? We instrument for this, programs to purchase securities in the market, which has not been used (since February) but can be. "
The situation remains fragile
These words produced an instant effect on the markets. Yields on bonds of the Spanish State, which had peaked at 5.99% on Wednesday morning, retreated to 5.82%. However Italy has seen its borrowing rates harden, and the eight billion shares to twelve months were subscribed at a rate of 2.84% instead of 1.40% during the similar issue launched in March, while its refinancing conditions had steadily improved since the beginning of the year. This is clear proof that "the situation remains fragile … Governments must continue the efforts already made to restore sound fiscal positions and support the long-term growth," added Benedict Cœuré.
The roadmap on which governments will be judged by the markets is twofold equally important: first reductions of deficits and the other structural reforms likely to revive economies. Thus the European Commission Wednesday she said "the very important reform of the labor market" set up by Madrid, having welcomed the measures announced Monday savings in health and education, a total budget of 10 billion euros.
As president of the French Banking Federation and head of Societe Generale, Frederic Oudéa says the same thing: "You have come to show the markets that the trajectories become virtuous, and this requires a number of quarters to show that results are well go, "he said Wednesday on BFM Business antenna.
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Alert at Total. The gas leak occurred Sunday afternoon on his Elgin gas field, 240 kilometers east of Aberdeen in Scotland is growing. Tuesday afternoon, the authorities decided to ban flights within 3 nautical miles (5.5 km) from the Elgin platform and navigation within 2 miles (3.7 km).
The latest information provided by a spokesman for Total in Aberdeen, the gas does not ignite. The 238 employees of the platform were evacuated by helicopter Monday, without being able to stop the leak. And for good reason, Elgin is nicknamed "the pit of hell" because of the pressure and temperature "extremes" in the words of the website of Total, prevailing in the gas tank, buried 5000 meters below seabed. Total According, the pressure is of the order of 1100 bars, the equivalent of one tonne concentrated on the surface of a fingernail. By comparison, the pressure in the well Deepwater Horizon, in the Gulf of Mexico, scene of the worst oil spill in U.S. in 2010 was 800 bars.
Two fireboats are on alert at the limit of two miles, ready to intervene. Tuesday afternoon, experts from Total does not always explain the reasons for flight. Among the possible operations is discussed drilling a relief well which would reduce the pressure of the leak in the original well. An intervention that would take six months, admits it at Total.
According to the spokesman of the French company in Aberdeen, 20 tons of gas may have leaked. Moreover, the condensate-oil-sprawled on Tuesday 4.8 km2. A plane with the dispersant on board was ready to take off. The company Shell has reduced its staff on its neighboring platforms and Noble Hans Deul Shearwater.
Total shares fall
At the Paris Bourse, the action of a number of CAC 40 lost 8% to 14.30. At Total, the oil slick from the Deepwater Horizon BP in 2010 is on everyone's mind. The company has launched a website dedicated to the incident.
According to Frederic Hauge of Bellona Norwegian environmental NGO that monitors the production of hydrocarbons in the North Sea, quoted by Reuters, "the staff has seen the sea boil. I am very concerned about the situation. It can only get worse. "
New twist in the saga Free Mobile, which runs the telecom sector since January. Orange has threatened Saturday to suspend the contract that binds him to Free Mobile. Such a decision will have serious consequences for clients of Free Mobile since this agreement, said roaming allows subscribers of the new operator to go through the Orange network where there would be no network available Free.
What has bitten Orange? For this contract, Stéphane Richard, CEO of Orange, was repeatedly congratulated for having signed the beard of SFR and Bouygues him should yield about 1.5 billion euros. Two reasons for this reaction. First, Orange is concerned about the various failures occurred on the network of Free Mobile recently and wants to protect its own customers. "Orange reaffirms that it can, and will not hesitate to suspend the contract if the roaming network incidents Free Mobile would affect the quality of service to Orange customers," said a door- word of Orange.
Second, Orange believes they have been challenged by the regulator. "Contrary to some claims to Orange failures occurred on the network of Free Mobile in recent days, the group accepts no responsibility for these failures," added the spokesman of Orange. Saturday, in an interview with Le Figaro, Jean-Ludovic Silicani, president of Telecom Regulatory Authority, stated that "both sides have underestimated both the number of subscribers and the amount of traffic through the Orange network. "
Questioned, Free does not wish to comment. Arrived with a crash in January on the market of mobile telephony, the operator led by Xavier Niel now has nearly 2.2 million subscribers.
Poker game
This estimate comes from its competitor Bouygues Telecom as to the presentation of its quarterly results, Free Mobile maintains the mystery of this figure strategically. In mid-February, Orange admitted to have lost 201,000 subscribers, SFR and Bouygues Telecom 200 000 134 000. The irruption of Free Mobile phone on the board, with very aggressive prices, the market has completely changed into the headquarters of groups (see below). Its competitors were forced to revise their prices downwards. Bouygues Telecom is the company to provide rate reductions of up to 40%.
Finally, in the incredible poker game that is played between players, the latest statements of Orange do they represent a real threat or a bluff? For how could the contract that would, they say, has been negotiated foot foot for forty-five days, did not foresee all situations, especially breakdowns? Besides his denunciation would have a significant cost to Orange.
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"We hear a lot of glasses Eva Joly and François Hollande, yet the optical is not a matter for politicians," sighs Alain Gersel. President of the National Federation of Opticians France (fnof) has just sent an open letter to presidential candidates, how to draw attention to the conflict that opposes complementary health.
The glasses are poorly reimbursed by Social Security. Among the 15% of adults say they have sought care for financial reasons during the previous year, fourth evokes the optical (second position issue, behind the teeth). The role of complementary is therefore crucial. To reduce the amount their members out of pocket, while controlling the cost of repayments, they enter into agreements with opticians, constituting "managed care". The optician agrees to charge prices "reasonable" and comply with quality standards (glasses, antireflective treatment, preliminary estimate …). In return, the additional promises a certain volume of customers-the Mutual General Education (MGEN) guarantees member 1 to 1.5 per day per store. To achieve this, it does not require to visit the stores contracted but incites: no co-pay, third party payer reimbursement and often better.
First mutual health in France, particularly in the sights of opticians, MGEN reimburses 25% increase in its qualified opticians. Its network is "closed", that is to say limited to opticians on 12000 1900-that's what allows him to expect its partners a surplus of customers. Enough to arouse jealousy among the recalibrated? MGEN provides an optician on two postulated to integrate its network, which would mean about 4000 disappointed
. Legal offensive
The fnof aligned in any case the arguments "antiréseaux". First, the insured pushed a licensed optician might be forced to "40 or 50 km route" to find it. Proximity is especially important that opticians can renew and adapt prescriptions of ophthalmologists, a solution found in 2006 in response to the shortage of medical specialists. MGEN side, it was answered that few opticians established in villages: they are concentrated in cities, contact a professional under agreement would impose the worst to go one or two streets away. Second objection of the union of opticians: lack of customer follow-up, stores incoming and outgoing network each year. Finally, do some additional improvements that would offer rebates on a limited choice of lenses or frames, without clear to their policyholders. MGEN does not feel concerned with "170 000 references saved."
The fnof offers an alternative to further reduce their costs for: refund less often eyeglasses-many contracts support a pair a year while a renewal every three years would suffice.
Several legal offensives were also launched against the MGEN, one by the sign Afflelou, based on two grounds. The barrier to competition, on the one hand, but the mutual boasts favorable opinions of the Competition Authority and the DGCCRF (Bercy). The inability of a mutual practice different levels of reimbursement between its members, on the other. On this point, the case law is unfavorable to MGEN. Following a recommendation by the Court of Auditors to slow health spending, Parliament intended to remove this barrier to care networks in 2011. But the article of the law passed was censored for reasons of form.
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Kellogg's takes its revenge. After being out of the game last year, the world's leading cereal offers Pringles potato chips, for $ 2.7 billion. It takes advantage of misadventures of the seller, Procter & Gamble (P & G), which had entered into negotiations in April 2011 with fellow American Diamon Foods for the sale of Pringles.
These negotiations were unsuccessful, the purchaser being mired in a huge accounting scandal. Within months, the stock price Diamond Foods has lost half its value. But the company had committed to spend $ 2.4 billion, mainly in equities, to get their hands on Pringles. In early January, Diamond Foods announced it would need to reassess its accounts the past two years, following an internal investigation into its accounting practices. Hours later, P & G said look for an alternative.
Kellogg's and P & G should complete the operation by the summer. The withdrawal of Diamond Foods will not result in financial compensation for P & G.
By offering the brand of chips, which generates about $ 1.5 billion in sales and employs 1,700 people, Kellogg's is a giant step for the future. "Pringles has a global presence that propels to Kellogg's second in the world of crackers, helping us achieve our goal of becoming a real business of cereals and snacks," says John A. Bryant, CEO of Kellogg's, which topped last year's $ 13 billion in revenue.
PepsiCo, the leader
Sold in over 140 countries, produced in Belgium and the U.S., the Pringles potato chips become the second brand of Kellogg's Special K behind The U.S. giant has already Keebler cookies and crackers and Cheez-It Townhouse. The group also sells cereal bars and fruit snacks. But he has to go up a gear abroad.
"The acquisition of Pringles it provides a platform for international distribution of its products ready for snacking," analysts said BernsteinResearch. This should lead to synergies, particularly in Asia, where Kellogg's is still low.
Dominated by PepsiCo, the snack market, with sales approaching $ 65 billion, grew twice as fast in the last five years in emerging markets (+9.6% on average) than in mature markets. The sale of Pringles brand disengagement of P & G's food, a segment where the world's leading consumer products had tried to diversify in the 1990s. In 2004, he had already sold its Sunny Delight juice. It intends to focus on cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products.
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European markets opened down on Friday. The CAC 40 lost 0.83% to 2985.19 and points in early trade. London also yield 0.81% to 5,379.08 points and Frankfurt 0.84% to 5800.79 points. Despite a week marked by political developments in Italy and Greece, the risk of contagion from the debt crisis strongly disturb the markets. Yesterday, France and Spain have made bond in high yields. Rates in Spain reached 6.975% of never-seen since the creation of the euro and a further step towards the 7% threshold considered dangerous. In the process, Wall Street closed lower and Asia was plunged into the red today.
In Italy, the new Chairman Mario Monti has presented its program focused on "fiscal discipline", "growth" and "equity.""The future of the euro will also depend on what will Italy in the coming weeks," he said. "Europe is experiencing its most difficult years of the postwar period. (…) The European project could not survive a possible collapse of the monetary union. "
The euro rose slightly against the dollar
On the foreign exchange market, the euro rose slightly against the dollar the slope after reaching a low of five months yesterday at 1.3421 dollar. It evolves around 1.3479 this morning but the dollar traders believe that the downtrend remains intact.
On the macroeconomic front, investors will be watching today the publication of the indices of orders received value in the industry for the month of September, published by INSEE at noon.
A debt crisis could lead to another. The Greek fire is not yet off the government needs to rush to the bedside of local authorities and their bank moribund, the sulfur Dexia. Not a week goes by without a large community calls upon the State to the rescue. At least 200 cities, councils, hospitals and housing associations are home loans on their books "toxic" with huge interest rates have put their finances at risk. Listed, some heavyweights as Saint-Etienne, Marseille, Grenoble, but also the urban community of Lille and the General Council of Seine-Saint-Denis. To reopen the tap credit to communities that provide 75% of the investment in the country, the government had to address the problem urgently Dexia.Will this be enough there?
Last month, the government has activated for the first time a special support fund created in late 2010 for the departments in need. The beneficiaries are seven departments (six rural) whose debt is massive, and revenues, almost entirely absorbed by the distribution of welfare. Hitherto considered the spoiled children of decentralization, regions require the State to review the financing of rail, now they consider "untenable" for their budgets low interest rate personal loans.
The alarm level is reached. In ten years, spending communities have increased by 60%, and local taxes, 45%! These figures are staggering.Whose fault? A lax politicians and poor managers who prefer to treat their customers (36,000 hiring officials last year when the state removed 34,000 positions)? The lack of political will of the state, hostage to local barons? Bankers incendiary? To have the heart net, Le Figaro Magazine has plunged into the accounts of local authorities, was shelled and analyzed partnered with the Thomas More Institute and Public Evaluation System.Inspiring!
"Cities: heat stroke on taxes (pdf)
"Departments: the weight of social spending (the Ain to the Haute-Garonne)
"Departments: the weight of social spending (the Gers in Puy-de-Dôme)
"Departments: the weight of social spending (in the Pyrenees-Atlantique to Val d'Oise)
"Region: always a sacred way of life
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