International & World Report

The bill for banks that have distributed toxic loans to local authorities may be salty. Claude Bartolone at war for three years against Dexia and its sister does not count because no release. PS MP who chairs the Assembly today a Commission of Inquiry on "risky financial products underwritten by local" has already federated number of public entities that have contracted loans toxic.

The President of the General Council of Seine-Saint-Denis since 2007 fought first for his department. Claude Bartolone has discovered that he had contracted in 2008, led by Communists, many loans have become toxic. Thus, a debt of 953 million euros, the joint may have to pay a premium of about $ 300 million over the next ten years because of toxic loans contracted between 1997 and 2008."The equivalent of building a school year," criticizes Claude Bartolone. "And that amount could be even higher," said the MP. In fact, some of the loans contracted by the municipality are indexed to the Swiss franc and interest rates can reach 50% depending on the evolution of the franc.

Most disturbing is that the department of Seine-Saint-Denis (93) is not alone in this. MP PS refers to "hospitals, small towns or communes, departments, ports such as port of Le Havre" and "communes of all political stripes like Saint Etienne, Rouen, Saint Maur or Saint Tropez."

According to Claude Bartolone, "the total amount of toxic loans granted to public entities be around 15 billion euros of which would be 5 billion of potential losses."

"Banks can not not pay"

MP PS is clearly concerned the role of banks. He said "they are responsible for the explosive situation in the French subprime" where thousands of municipalities are now over-indebted. Indeed, it is satisfied that they have not fulfilled their code of ethics. "They had a duty to inform and how their customers customized uninitiated" or the quest for profit seems to have guided more banks. Thus, the President of the General Council 93 filed a complaint against Dexia, Depfa and Calyon (Credit Agricole). The court should rule in October. But even Claude Bartolone said that "banks can not avoid paying." The MP also believes that "the whole chain has failed." The state has not applied a circular on the prohibition of structured products and regulatory authorities have also failed in their duty.A helping hand of the state can not be excluded.

Otherwise, "the local authorities would be forced to raise local taxes, reduce investment and jobs." And technically if the failure of a local community is not possible, it can be put under the tutelage of the state as was the case of Angouleme, said the chosen PS.

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Trinity Place is not exactly the Tahrir Square, but the mood is not very different: the protesters want to express their ras-le-bol against those in power. United States, it is against the bankers and Wall Street financiers that discontent is rising. A popular movement calling itself "Mind Wall Street" apparent since Saturday in the heart of the financial district after taking the form of social networks.

Demonstrators protest hearing to December against what they denounced as the culture of "money", "greed" and "corruption" of Wall Street and asking Barack Obama to establish a commission putting "an end to influence of Wall Street on politics in Washington. "

Saturday, those with transforming the world capital of finance in place Tahrir U.S. were only slightly more than a thousand.Sunday, they were more than half and Monday, hundreds of "outraged", especially young people, continued to protest under heavy police surveillance. Some, including the long-term unemployed, a new phenomenon in the United States-had even slept the night on benches. We are far from the ambition of the movement: "20,000 people together, invade all of southern Manhattan, set up tents, mobile kitchens, barricades and hold peaceful Wall Street for months," and claims are at least different – from Tax the rich (heard by Barack Obama) to better education and greater respect for the environment through support for Palestine.

Social unrest

But the move reflects a real social unrest in a country where social inequality exacerbated by the crisis are becoming more glaring as Washington is incapable of falling unemployment rate below 9%. Ironically, New York is not Cairo and it is unclear how the movement could grow against the police operation from the authorities. The New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, known for his patience limited to public expressions of discontent, summarized its limits: "If they want to protest, they have the right, we will be happy to allow them to do so in specific locations (…) they can demonstrate provided they do respect the rights of those who do not show. "

Monday for the third consecutive day, the police strictly controlled the entrance to Wall Street financiers on presentation of their business card, to the delight of some employees of companies like Deutsche Bank and Bank of New York. During the weekend, police had cleverly divided the pedestrian crossings on Wall Street so that demonstrators can never enter. All banks are not installed on Wall Street. JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and Bank of America, which announced the dismissal of 30,000 people in the coming years, have their headquarters earlier in Manhattan. In New York, the police presence was strengthened this week due to the expected arrival of heads of state from more than 120 countries, including that of Barack Obama on Monday.

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Barack Obama has heard Warren Buffett. One month after the American billionaire's call to raise taxes of the richest in the United States, Barack Obama will propose on Monday during a speech at the White House – expected at 16:30 French time – a special tax on the income of taxpayers earning over a million dollars a year (about 725,000 euros). The U.S. president should not indicate the precise tax rate that it intends to apply or the amount it hoped to achieve by this. But according to The New York Times, the tax on millionaires only for 0.3% of taxpayers, less than 450,000 of the 144 million returns recorded in 2010.

Dubbed the "rule Buffett," this tax is in terms of reducing the budget deficit that the U.S. president must explain to Congress Monday.Its goal? Ensure that the wealthiest taxpayers pay at least as much taxes as middle-class homes. This is not the case, as pointed out by Warren Buffett this summer, because of certain provisions of the Tax Code.

1200 billion dollars in savings to find

Thus, capital income such as dividends or interest earned by the fund managers are taxed at 15%, while labor incomes are between 10 to 35% payday loans. "While the poorer classes and middle classes are fighting for us in Afghanistan, while most Americans struggle to make ends meet month we mega-wealthy continue to benefit from special tax exemptions," wrote Warren Buffett in an article published last month in The New York Times.

This tax should allow Barack Obama to approach a little more of his electoral base of the Democratic Party criticized him his "gifts" to tax the wealthiest people. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives have already announced that he would vote no tax increase.

While the United States must find 1.2 trillion dollars in savings by the end of the year, Barack Obama warned on Saturday the Americans that they would provide "pull their weight" to reduce the budget deficit. And pressed again, the Congress, including Republicans, to adopt his plan for the use of 447 billion dollars. "More games or impasses. More division or delay, "he said during his weekly radio address.

The government is auctioning the frequencies, which will be used for mobile fourth generation (4G). What is it?

The mobile phone transmits the voice (or data) using radio waves, which propagate in the air "waves" continuous. The frequency (measured in hertz, Hz) is the number of "waves" per second.

To make the operators therefore need to get the government of frequencies, located in a strip precise and well defined, so as not to interfere with radio, television, defense, aviation and so on.

But the frequencies are inherently limited. They are therefore a scarce and highly contested. In addition, they are not all the same quality in terms of capacity and speed of propagation. To put it very simply, the more frequencies are lower, the better they are.Frequencies "low" (below 1GHz) have good propagation properties. They provide a national coverage less expensive because they require less equipment. They also have better penetration in buildings, improving coverage "indoor". Low frequencies therefore offer the best technical and economic conditions for the deployment of large networks with national coverage.

Historically, the FM radio is in the 100 MHz band, the television in the 470 to 862 MHz. Telecom operators are above the frequency band.

• 4G (voice, SMS, MMS, mobile Internet fast): 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz. The frequencies currently 4G auction are of two types.

On the one hand, the frequencies called "gold" because they are located in the low frequencies 800 MHz band.As they spread further into the atmosphere, the operators do not need to put a lot of equipment to cover a given area, making these frequencies are well adapted to cover the rural areas. But their price is high. Released during the transition to DTT, they were recovered by the government from television, through the so-called "digital dividend". Since this frequency band is close to that of television, mobile 4G can still create interference and interference with TNT in some places.

In addition of frequencies known as "high" as they are in the 2.6 GHz band. They are particularly suited to dense urban areas. But they require high investments.

• 3G (voice, SMS, MMS, mobile Internet start): 2GHz.The current generation of mobile phones, called 3G (or UMTS), operates in the 2 GHz band, with opportunities to 2.5 GHz. To ensure a good signal coverage, operators have had denser network and stations install more emissions than the generation before. The result of the economic costs and increasing difficulties to cover the white areas.

• 2G (voice, SMS, MMS): 900 MHz and 1800 MHz. The previous generation, known as 2G (or GSM), worked – and still works – in the 900 MHz band and 1800 MHz in Europe. Each operator had to build a network of more than 15,000 base stations. Bouygues Telecom, the third came on the market was at a disadvantage: he had received 1800 MHz frequencies, requiring a denser network and therefore more expensive than its competitors Orange and SFR.In the U.S., GSM in the band of 1900 MHz, hence the need for a phone "tri-band" when traveling in the United States.

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Italy would not have sought help from China to overcome its problems of sovereign debt. So says the Tuesday evening Antonio Gentile, Italian Secretary of State for Economic Affairs. Contrary to information in the Financial Times that Rome would have asked Beijing to make significant repurchases of its sovereign debt, it says that "we have not requested any specific assistance to China. The demand for government securities is good Italian. "

Antonio Gentile and again the words of a member of the Italian government which emphasized on Monday night that the purchase of debt securities of the Italian state was not central to the negotiations which took place several weeks ago. While the Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti, as well as officials of the Cassa despositi e prestiti, met Lou Jiwei, the chairman of China Investment Corp (CIC), accompanied by a delegation in Rome.But "there is no extraordinary operation to purchase debt with China but only institutional meetings planned for a long time to evaluate investment opportunities in Italy, especially in industrial," said Secretary of state.

This meeting was on capital expenditure and not bonds, "provided later another government source.

Relief markets

In any case, the information had an immediate impact on equity markets. European shares closed Tuesday on a rebound, despite the conflicting information. Yesterday, the news sparked a dramatic rise of U.S. indexes, which ended the session up when they were, like all European markets, a sharp decline shortly before that information cash advance loans. Foreign exchange markets also reacted.The information has strengthened the euro, trading at 1.3692 dollar in the evening.

All stock indices around the world is indeed suspended at the least information related to the status of sovereign debt in the euro area. In fact, the fear of contagion shook the Greek market.

The tension remains strong. Italy fails to regain investor confidence on Tuesday and again, the Italian rates have soared in bond issues.

China has pledged to support the euro area

The assumption of support from China bound for the euro area is particularly taken seriously by the markets as the Central Bank of China recently said it was ready to support countries in difficulty to repay their debt.

Moreover, China has already come to the rescue of countries in the euro area in difficulties in recent months.In late May, Beijing had expressed its intention to purchase debt securities issued by the European Stability for Portugal. In January, China had purchased European titles for bail Ireland. And from the beginning of the crisis, China had come to the aid of Europe's sick of his debts. Earlier this year, the country had purchased bonds espagnolespour a hundred million. The Middle Kingdom is also committed to acquire Greek bonds

By helping the EU now, China is diversifying its investments in debt securities. In addition, the country is gaining leeway in future negotiations.

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Shortly before opening, chewing Americans were expected small decline, but volatility remains very high, the index futures may return at any moment, like the indices themselves. Shortly before noon Paris time, the index futures Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 yielded respectively 0.3% to 1165 points, and 0.37% at 2150 points.

On Thursday evening, U.S. markets have rebounded sharply, welcoming new listings weekly fewer than expected. European markets had also enjoyed the news, closing up vigorously.

The pressure remains strong this weekend

Other statistics on the agenda for this Friday, may well generate a few responses. Retail sales for the month of July will be unveiled at 2:30 p.m., in fact, before the start of the session Eats United.Investors await with interest the first estimate of consumer confidence from the University of Michigan for the month of August, from 3:55 p.m..

Pressure remains high on world markets. Lack of macroeconomic and really good news in the absence of major business publications Friday, this weekend is likely to be overshadowed by even more obvious signs of a weakening of growth. The sovereign debt crisis, and severe drops in banking stocks recorded this week, amid rumors of bankruptcy, particularly in France, will affect the trend no fax payday loans.Asian stock markets have already finished down on Friday morning.

In this context agrave exacerbated by a volatile market, investors are going to look at publications such as retail sales, which should also benefit from a slight rebound in auto sales?

Difficult to answer this question. For analysts Aurel BGC, "while" so far the timing of publications of macroeconomic indicators has been poor, a reaction, positive or negative, this indicator would in any case an early normalization "of market behavior. Excluding cars, the indicators are still available for now more mixed.

On the corporate side, the U.S. airline AMR, parent of American Airlines, announced plans to separate its regional affiliate American Eagle.A document filed with the stock market regulator described a "possible separation" with the American Eagle to introduce the stock market separately. American Airlines is still bound for nine years in its subsidiary. American Eagle will continue initially to operate 281 aircraft for American Airlines, which will wind down its cooperation in 2012.

Three days after the loss of the AAA assigned by Standard & Poor's, Americans woke up in shock Monday in what they perceive as a true national humiliation, while the two parties were the blame.

All weekend, politicians and economists have debated the television studios of the legitimacy of the downgrade of U.S. debt. The subject continued to occupy most of the news on Monday, forcing Barack Obama to step up. In a short statement, Bush blasted credit rating agencies. "The United States still deserve the AAA," Has he said, wanting to be evidence that investors had continued to buy Treasury debt on Monday. Quoting Warren Buffett, the famous investor, as he believes "the United States deserve a quadruple A!."

A political weapon

However, Barack Obama acknowledged that the issue of deficits had become critical and assured that he would make proposals to address them in the coming weeks. He reiterated his commitment to reforming the U.S. tax system, which will require higher taxes for the wealthy, and agreed to amend, at the margin, its reform of social security (Medcare) considered too expensive by many of economists. He also called in turn Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, and José Luis Zapatero, Spanish Prime Minister, to discuss the need for coordinated action to avoid a slowdown in the global economy.

Yet Barack Obama, who Monday sought a message of optimism by saying that economic problems "can be solved," has not convinced Wall Street that ended the session by falling 5.55%.U.S. President knows that the degradation of S & P is a political weapon for his opponents. "This degradation is that of the Tea Party, because a minority of people went against the will of the majority of Republicans," has dealt Democratic Senator John Kerry.

Republican side, it was blamed on Barack Obama. "I recognize that there are shortcomings, but they come in large part to the failure of the president to lead the country. The Republicans control only a third of the government, "said Senator John McCain.

The former director of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, offered his own reading, Sunday on NBC. "It's not a question of assessment of rating agencies. There is zero chance that the United States fall into default (…). What S & P has done is hit a nerve.He faces the pride of America, "he said.

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Firefighters desperately looking for financial markets. For a month, the Cac 40, which recorded its ninth session Thursday consecutive decline, has lost 17%! And the stock market this week might conclude on the tenth. Shortly after opening, the stock market index fell by 2.09% to 3250.95 points.

On other European financial centers, the atmosphere is also depressed: the Footsie-100 from the London Stock Exchange 2.58% to 5254.11 loose points, the DAX 30 Frankfurt Stock Exchange fall 3.85% to 6167.96 points, the FTSE MIB in Milan leaves 3.44% to 15,573.84 points, the Madrid Ibex 35 yields 1.96% to 8516.20 points, the Bel 20 in Brussels is down 3, 61% to 2143.45 points.

In anticipation of U.S. employment figures

That can extinguish the fire which engulfed global stock markets? The President of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, it is tested in an exercise it is broken.Without having reassured, he did not panic by not clarifying his intentions on debt buybacks. "It's the return of the behavior of crisis," says Aurel BGC in it.

Consequence: the main European stock markets fell 3% to 4%, Wall Street plunged 5%, Asian stock markets slumped 2% to 5%, oil is trading around 85 dollars a barrel and not to vicinity of $ 100 as there are about ten days, and gold flies to 1700 dollars per ounce. A scenario that is not yet catastrophic according Volokhine Gregori, president of Meeschaert Capital Markets. "We're not on a" bear market "(bear market over a long period), he says.We will be there when the stock markets lose 20% per week. "

After the publication of interim results of the banks, the speech of Jean-Claude Trichet, investors will monitor closely the figures for employment and unemployment in the United States for the month of July (1430). "This does not fundamentally change the market trends, said Grigory Volokhine Business on BFM.

The trade deficit declined in June

Most investors expect to know if there will be further monetary easing to support the U.S. economy and if European countries are finally going their act together. " Same story on the side of Aurel BGC. "Even a figure in line with expectations should not prevent markets brooding, said Christian Parisot, chief economist at Aurel BGC.Hopefully a little bounce if it exceeds the expectations. "

Other macroeconomic news: the trade deficit of France. He was greatly reduced in June to 5.598 billion euros, after 6.415 billion in May, according to data released Friday by Customs.

On the corporate side, the last two banks issued after market close on Thursday night: Natixis and Dexia.

Natixis: -3.29% to 2.676 euros

Natixis on Thursday posted a net profit above expectations in the second quarter thanks to a sharp increase in the contribution of results from regional banks of its parent BPCE (People's Bank – Savings Bank).

Dexia: -6.88% to 1.54 euros

Dexia announced the heaviest loss in its history, a performance due to both the sale of a portfolio of toxic assets – centerpiece of its restructuring plan – and its contribution to the aid plan on sovereign debt Greek.

Carrefour: 18.56 euros stable

Carrefour announced a new reorganization of its management, including replacing its chief financial officer, when the group just straightening operations in France and suffered a major strategic setback in Brazil.

LVMH: -2.30% to 112.55 euros

LVMH said Thursday it had received approval from Consob, the Italian stock market authority, for offering Italian jeweler Bulgari on which he announced the takeover in March.

Vicat: -5.47% to 44.24 euros

Vicat said Thursday expect a slight reduction of its operating margin in 2011 due to the revolution in Egypt, the rising energy costs and start-up costs of factories in India.

Careful, this is the verdict seems to be emerging markets about the compromise between Republicans and Democrats to raise the debt ceiling. European shares closed sharply lower on Monday and Wall Street is in the red at mid-session.

European leaders hailed the recovery of 2.4 trillion dollars in the legal limit of U.S. debts. Enough to hold until 2013, after the U.S. presidential election in November 2012 of. "This plan raises considerable uncertainty that hovered in recent days on the market about a risk of recession in the United States, welcomes Philippe Waechter, head of economic research at Natixis AM. While no agreement was reached before Aug. 2, the federal government could not spend what he earns, which would have sealed the growth. "But economists remain cautious: the lack of plan detail and ambition.

• Two uncertainties

The plan presented by President Barack Obama and the Democratic and Republican negotiators is still a project that has not passed by Congress. "The Republicans may be unhappy with the cuts in the defense budget. (…) In addition, any tax increase is explicitly provided, which could make it difficult to convince a sufficient number of Democrats to vote the text, "Analysis Paul Mortimer-Lee, chief economist at BNP Paribas IPC.

Second unknown, raised by Inna Mufteeva, economist at Natixis, "no timetable has been issued for budget cuts. These cuts should not be introduced too fast, Barack Obama assured, but it would be interesting to know when. "Especially the plan, based solely on spending cuts and no tax increase, is likely to influence an already weak growth.

• A plan insufficient

"The total savings proposed, or 2.4 trillion dollars, is insufficient to put the U.S. budget on track," said Paul Mortimer-Lee. The rating agency Standard & Poor's estimated 4 trillion in savings over 10 years are needed to reduce the U.S. debt.

• The main decisions postponed

Almost two-thirds of the austerity measures -1.5 trillion dollars over a total of 2.4 trillion-flow from the proposals of the committee for the opportunity to be presented in November. Result, "there are still too many uncertainties about possible future tax and budget cuts, concerned about Paul Mortimer-Lee. This uncertainty will penalize investment decisions and hiring companies. Growth will suffer.The compromise presented Sunday night therefore merely postpone the problem, and not far beyond. "

• Questions about Washington's ability to make decisions

"Initially, Obama targeted Republicans as a plan of 4,000 billion dollars, said Philippe Waechter. As they differed on how to achieve their ambition has melted over the negotiations, to agree in the end the lowest common denominator (2400 billion dollars in savings). "

So lacking in the original goal to doubt the effectiveness of the American political system. "If there were only Republicans and Democrats agreed was found. But the presence of extremists of the Tea Party has changed the situation, forcing the Republicans to more than intransigence, Philippe Waechter analysis. It has changed the political system in the United States.Part of the Republicans wanted something other than what was negotiated usual, causing the blockage. "

This could happen in the future, warned Standard & Poor's in a note dated July 14: "The inability to reach an agreement today leads us to believe that there will be no more coming years. "This argument could lose its" AAA "in the United States.

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The text provides for the implementation of financial sanctions in case of conflict of interest.

LE FIGARO. – What are the main points of this text?

Xavier BERTRAND. – I said I want there to be a before and an after-Mediator. That's why I wanted an ambitious reform and concerted based on three pillars. The first is transparency in conflicts of interest. For it is clear that it is essentially this question that has caused confusion in public opinion after the Mediator by creating a climate of suspicion unbearable. Another important point when there will be questions about a drug, the doubt should benefit patients and not laboratories. Finally, better information for patients is necessary, as well as better information and training for health professionals.

Only sanctions can overcome the conflicts of interest.What are your plans?

The law sets up financial and criminal penalties for violators. Any decision of a proceeding in which a conflict of interest is identified will be void. For laboratories, the penalties can go as far as the marketing ban. All this is particularly chilling.

You know a law can not do everything. How do you proceed?

The law will not be the only element of this overhaul of the system. We must prepare decrees, including the training of health professionals. Thus, the continuing education of physicians should no longer give the feeling of being entirely in the hands of medical representatives. That is why I want this new system is evaluated in two to three years.I do not want to do in half-measures but in radical reform.

The General Inspectorate of Social Affairs called to abolish the profession of pharmaceutical sales. You do not accept this proposal, why?

There is a distinction between promotion and information. It is clear that the existence of the medical as we knew it is over. It is even prohibited individual to the hospital. Physicians will face several health visitor. Funding for the training of doctors must be watertight. Certainly, the pharmaceutical industry will contribute, but not directly as is the case today. It will do so through taxes and royalties, which go through the state and Medicare before being paid back. I want there to be far fewer links between laboratories and physicians in training low fee payday loans.Finally, the Minister of Health should be aware of all the training modules for sales representatives and all the documents they will present to health professionals. This is the French Agency for Safety of Health Products, renamed the "National Security Agency of Medicines and Health Products" (ANSM), who will have control.

The text also plans to make public all contracts with the press, learned societies and patient organizations. This means he the death of the medical press?

This is not to stop there advertising in the newspapers, but we can require that the amounts of payments to be made public.

While France has decided to prohibit the marketing of the Actos diabetes, the European Medicines Agency wants to leave it on the market.What do you do?

We will maintain the suspension of Actos. This medicine will not be back in French pharmacies. With Germany, we call an approach at European level so that our position is respected. If the European Commission sided with the European Medicines Agency and forced us to return the Actos on the market, there will be a showdown. Also, I am convinced that it is necessary to reform the drug in Europe, because I want that one gives more power to national agencies. Laboratories must understand that things have changed.

The Constitutional Council has just approved the text on the compensation fund for victims of the Mediator.To the laboratory Servier is it always the first charge before the health authorities?

Yes! We should not be mistaken about the primary responsibility in this matter: it is the responsibility of laboratory Servier. The compensation requested by the National Compensation Medical (ONIAM) for victims of the Mediator will be increased to a 30% penalty if the laboratory Servier refuses to comply. We were told that with this 30% penalty (in the body of law, the penalty is 15%, Ed) it was an emergency law, the Constitutional Council has given us reason. In addition, I ask Servier to cooperate fully to compensate the victims.

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