Angela Merkel may not be smiling to welcome Francois Hollande Tuesday night. The Christian Democrats (CDU) of German Chancellor Sunday suffered a stinging defeat in a regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state in Germany.

According to partial results yet, the federal opposition Social Democrats (SPD) won the election with 38% of the vote. Environmentalists have raised 12% of the vote, the SPD-Green coalition outgoing should continue to govern this state.

For its part the CDU has collected approximately 25.5% of the votes, or about 9 points lower than in 2010, her worst score ever recorded in this region. This defeat adds to a long series for black liberal-conservative coalition in power in Berlin since 2009, it failed to surpass the 5% in six regional elections, and lost its historical stronghold of Baden-Wuerttemberg.  

Merkel remains popular in polls

Although the North Rhine-Westphalia is a historical bastion of the left, this result sounds like a warning to the Chancellor, to 16 months of the legislation. A week after voters in France and Greece have shown that they wanted more austerity, the Germans of this region of western countries have chosen the SPD, very critical of the policy austerity practiced by the Chancellor. "This defeat is bitter, clear and it really hurts," admitted the local leader of the CDU, also Environment Minister Merkel, Norbert Röttgen. He at the same time tried to protect the Chancellor, ensuring that it was "above all (his) defeat" and resigning from the regional party.

If his party string of electoral defeats, Angela Merkel seems to always enjoy great personal popularity. National polls show that the Germans know it will promote fiscal austerity to cure ailing eurozone. Besides, in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Free Democrats, staunch supporters of austerity, collected 8.5% of the vote, nearly triple the 3% they receive from national surveys. However the formation of extreme left Die Linke – model Jean-Luc Melenchon – has not passed the 5% threshold of votes necessary for MPs.

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The campaign for the presidential election held the role of a damper on sales of national newspapers in March, registering a 0.5% decline, according to data released Thursday by the OJD on the basis of returns filed by publishers with the supervisory body of the press. A title, however, now in France, the national edition of Le Parisien, is distinguished by showing an increase of 10.3%.

Le Figaro rose 0.7%

"The whole quarter was bearer, with an average increase in sales of 10.5%, says Jean Hornain, CEO of Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France (Amaury Group). The political course supported us, but other factors have played in our favor. Unlike most of our competitors in the regional daily press, we have maintained our selling price to 90 cents during the week, making our way one of the most competitive in the retail outlets. We are also less affected by the free press, which makes the very difficult market in Ile-de-France. "Today in Francea also benefited from the judgment of the paper edition of France Soir, last December. Two other daily progress. One year after the launch of a new formula "bimédia" of the cross paid the sales rose 5.7% in March and 1.6% in the first quarter. Over the period, the daily Christian Bayard said to have multiplied by eight the number of subscribers to his website-croix.com, whose traffic has won at the same time 19%.

For its part, Le Figaro, which remains the largest national newspaper with paid circulation of 342,731 on average, increased by 0.7%. Over the quarter, Le Figaro is stable at 0.2%. All other securities are falling. In March, The World down 4.9%, to 288,881 copies, and the sports daily L'Team (Amaury) of 4.3%, to 258,476. Release is stable, slightly down by 0.5%, to 122,444 copies, despite sales at (kiosks and newsagents) at high levels for the daily run by Nicolas Demorand. Echoes lose, for their part, 3.1%, to 121,889 copies.

Rise of digital

"At first glance, on sales in Paris, the impact of the campaign was less than in 2007, says an editor. However, it must wait to see the performance of securities regions for an initial assessment, but we did have an effect on sales numbers. "

Along with paper sales, electronic editions of national newspapers continue to grow at a healthy pace. Le Figaro including more than doubled sales of its digital versions by crossing the course of 6000 readable copies smartphones and tablets. This share digital broadcast reached, according to OJD, 5.6% for Libération, Les Echos, 6.9% and 8.3% for Le Monde.

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Inspired by the French Socialists, the German Social Democrats just put a swing to the left. The SPD has decided to revive the wealth tax. Four German states, ruled by the great party of the Left, have announced their intention to submit before the summer in the Bundesrat, the upper house of Parliament, a bill for the reintroduction of a "Vermögensteuer" (ISF) modernized.

"The SPD has never hidden its emphasis on social justice. We can not simply cut down spending to meet the golden rule. That is why we are determined to pave the way for the reintroduction of the wealth tax, "said Carsten Kühl (SPD), Minister of Finance of Rhineland-Palatinate. Led by the SPD, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Hamburg will present, before the summer break, their text in the Bundesrat, which are represented the German regional states.

Their proposal includes a tax rate of 1% for individuals and businesses. This should apply to people whose heritage is over two million and save the middle class homeowners. Calculated by the SPD, this FSI could relate to the federal state between 8 and 10 billion euros per year. However the text is unlikely to be adopted in the Bundesrat, where Angela Merkel has lost its majority, but where the SPD does not have an absolute majority cheap business cards. And it would still be ratified by the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, dominated by the center-right coalition of Chancellor.

Elections

Whatever. For the SPD it is to lay the groundwork for the legislative elections of 2013. The German Social Democrats had considered the proposal outrageous tax to 75% of the very rich made by Francois Hollande. The reluctance of the socialist candidate against the golden rule also raise the misunderstanding of the German left. But she sees the ISF a good opportunity to stand out from the Chancellor on matters of taxation.

Across the Rhine, the income tax is capped at 42% with a special 45% said "tax the rich", for those whose monthly income exceeds the 250,731 euros. The Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled in 1995 that the income tax could not exceed 50%, whereas beyond this was a confiscatory measure contrary to the fundamental law. And the federal government, which has never carried out the modernization demanded by the Court in Karlsruhe, has stopped collecting the tax on capital in 1997.

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Critics have not kept waiting to condemn the Japanese government project to restart two nuclear reactors. Since the disaster of Fukushima and security measures that followed, almost all of the park which provided 28% of the electricity of the Archipelago has been shutdown. Today, one unit is still running and should be stopped for maintenance in the coming weeks. So far, Japan has managed this failure by attempting to reduce energy consumption and increasing imports of oil and gas.

However, with the approach of summer and peak demand associated with the use of air conditioners, electric companies, industry and the government becomes more pressing to restart some nuclear sites. Kansai Electric Power Company, now deprived of all its reactors, and says she may suffer from inadequate power of 20% during peak summer.

Obtain an understanding of citizens

Friday, the government Yoshihiko Noda had approved the reactivation plan of units 3 and 4 of the Central Oi (a hundred miles from Kyoto). Ensuring that the reactors in question comply with new security standards, the industry minister, Yukio Edano, nevertheless said: "The revival will be once we have obtained an understanding of citizens, starting with the local population. "

Nothing is less certain for now. Environmental groups are quickly mounted slot, as the Japanese press. "It is difficult to understand why the government so anxious to restart the reactors," wrote an editorial Sunday in the general Japanese daily Mainichi Shimbun, saying that more thorough inspections should be made before any restart. For its part, the daily Asahi Shimbunregrette "inconstancy" Noda government in its nuclear policy. Before taking office, the Prime Minister had indeed promised to continue the denuclearization of the country. "Independent studies show that there will be no shortage of energy," says his side Wakao Hanaoka, an activist of Greenpeace Japan.

While the population does not seem ready to return to nuclear, renewable energy has found a new attraction. Last week was thus launched a solar power plant of 70 megawatts, the largest in the country.

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Blast furnaces Florange the Eiffel Tower, it took them a week and a half walk. The steelworkers ArcelorMittal steel plant in Florange (Moselle), left foot on March 28 of Lorraine, arrived Friday afternoon under the Eiffel Tower. The end point of "the march of steel" to "defend their jobs with people."

The 17 walkers, unionized or not, have traveled over 300 km and symbolically ended their march at the foot of the "Iron Lady", made of steel of Lorraine. "Guys, this is who?", They started showing the Eiffel Tower. "To us," responded in a heartfelt cry from the hundreds of employees to join the marchers.

After traveling their last stage, between the Place de la Republique and the Champ de Mars, the steelworkers came to forming a row, holding each arm, all dressed in orange windbreaker. Other employees have come from the Lorraine ovation. On a placard that read "the shadow of death of the steel industry, more than 3,000 jobs lost in Lorraine, Luxembourg and Belgium."

A concert was scheduled for early evening including Bernard Allison. According to police headquarters, from 4 to 500 people gathered at the foot of the podium. "The sides arrived," "Steel Lorraine will live", had earlier chanted the marchers Republic Square.

"Human Adventure"

One of them, Rudy Crestani, retired Florange 61 years, said "human adventure" experienced by the Steelworkers. "The idea was to fight to save our endangered plant and thousands of jobs. We had an extraordinary sympathy of wind and we realized that our struggle far beyond the borders of Florange, this jewel of the industry, "told AFP Edward Martin, CFDT delegate.

"Many French people are recognized and have had to say:" We're all ArcelorMittal power ", because although the company ( business cards design…) is competitive, it is not even enough to keep it running, since all these ayatollahs finance believe that it is always cheaper, "he said. The marchers slept in gyms, party rooms, received encouragement from anonymous.

Nicolas Sarkozy attacks

The previous visit of steelworkers in the capital in mid-March, had led to clashes with the police when they wanted to go to the campaign headquarters of Nicolas Sarkozy. Since the president candidate has blamed union leaders Florange, attacking the "permanent CFDT" who "betray the trust of employees." "The unionized workers are not full?, Edward Martin replied Friday.

For Alain Gatti (CFDT), "the movement was hyper-responsible" contrary to what was suggested Nicolas Sarkozy accusing the CGT and CFDT union officials to be "come (s) to insult and try to break (his ) campaign headquarters. "

By engaging their showdown in late February to keep maintaining the site and some 2,500 IDUs, including several hundred are now partially, the unions had promised to make Florange "the nightmare of the government" if the two high- furnaces in the steel plant, dormant for several months, were not given a prompt start.

This standby, "the death warrant of the site," they say, is only temporary and ensures ArcelorMittal due to global demand for steel at half mast. After "broken promises" of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 in neighboring Gandhinagar-industrial site finally closed in 2009 – Florange has become a political battleground, also involving trade union representatives.

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Rarely have there been a fear of unemployment too high (one third of the French fear of being unemployed in the coming months) coincide with proposals also limited in terms of job candidates in the presidential election.

Apart from generation contracts (with uncertain effects) of Francois Hollande, antidélocalisation VAT (which will particularly benefit the jobs are not exposed to international competition) by Nicolas Sarkozy, or the prohibition of redundancies (fantastic in a global economy ) by Jean-Luc Melenchon, the impétrants at the Elysee do not shine with the inventiveness of their proposals. Everything happens as if in fact the only social issue of this campaign was beginning to worry about the plight of factory workers in difficulty: Lejaby, Petroplus, Photowatt, ArcelorMittal? to name only those "lucky" to one of the 20 hours. So much so that outgoing President announced that a buyer or a command Unexpected unexpected, the Socialist candidate responds by passing a law requiring an industrial facility to the closing yield. Syndrome Jospin, powerless anger of employees in 2002 by Lu who accused him of doing nothing to save them, has been there?

These employees are far from being the most deprived. From large groups who fulfill their obligations reclassification or revitalization (and often sign large checks start), they are part of the iceberg. Registration for employment center after a redundancy no longer represent each month that 2.9% of input patterns. Contrary to popular belief, their numbers fell 3.4% in 2011 to 14,000 per month. All also receive a contract security professional (CSP), ensuring a strengthened support and 100% of their net salary for a year.

This double "deluxe treatment" (media and procedural) for the CSD and interim would like to also benefit. First variable adjustment of the workforce in the companies they represent one third of entries each month at employment center (or 150,000 people) and are not entitled to a CSP in 15 experimental and employment areas. And, in an envelope limited to less than 20,000 contracts this year. 5 times less than for retrenched when they are 10 times more each month to bear the brunt of the crisis. In factories or elsewhere?

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The State is not the only one to benefit from the largesse of the SNCF. Society of French railroad will indeed pay its railroad a "wage dividend" of up to 400 euros gross to net income for the year 2011, according to the CFDT. This premium, which amount is adjusted according to the time spent in the company in 2011, will be paid on the payroll of March. "The management announced this evening (Thursday) that it would pay to the CFDT from the results of 2011, a dividend of 400 euros gross wage for employees of the company," said the union. An amount that could be much greater than that paid last year because the railroad had received 76 euros. Thus, if the CFDT "welcomes" the payment of a dividend to employees, it "regrets the randomness of its payment" because the amount differs from year to year.

In fact, the group's results do not explain this surge fast cash. Group profit accuses indeed a decrease of 82% to 125 million in fiscal year 2011. A cons-performance however be explained by asset write-downs of 840 million euros, 700 million under its TGV. Last year, operating margin, favored by management indicator, soared 41.2%, to 3.02 billion euros. As for sales, it rose 7.2% to 32.6 billion euros.

But despite mixed annual results, the company unveiled at the end of 2011 the payment of a dividend "record" in the state, said the CFDT. The draft budget 2012 Railway Group provides for a payment of 230 million euros. An amount that should be reinvested in the renovation of the rail network, the government promises.

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"The Minister of Energy is preparing a new tariff order to be consistent with the decision of the State Council," responded late Monday afternoon, the firm Eric Besson said in a statement.For their part, competitors (Poweo, Direct Energy, Altergaz, Gaz de Paris) grouped in the association had also applied to the anode highest administrative court, in proceedings for interim relief.

The Prime Minister walked through the rubble, before laying a wreath at the monument to the victims, a simple wooden board, with an inscription: "Courage, stand firm.""I came to Japan to talk about the G20 but it was not possible (not) to come here in the heart of one of the regions most affected by the earthquake," Fillon said after meeting with French volunteers , working to rebuild the city. Fillon told to have followed the drama with more attention than any of his brothers, jazz pianist, is married to a Japanese musician. "Time passes, a fighter on the other, but by the suffering, the difficulties of reconstruction are always the same," lamented the Prime Minister, for whom "it is important to continue to provide support" in Japan bruised.

As the Green candidate Eva Joly was these days in Fukushima, about a hundred miles from Ishinomaki, Fillon said the French giant Areva nuclear wanted to participate in the treatment of nuclear waste from the Japanese central hilly.But waiting for a green light from Tokyo. "Each State is free to choose its energy mix, including through the use of nuclear energy, which has advantages in terms of security of supply, economic competitiveness and the fight against the emission of greenhouse gas emissions," Fillon said in an interview with Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shibumi.

Prepare the G20 … and after 2012

The prime minister, who met Sunday the Prime Minister of Japan, Noda Yoshihiki to speak G20 and nuclear, has completed a mini-Asian tour Sunday to prepare for the G20, "according to Nicolas Sarkozy," according to Matignon payday loans for bad credit. He had also reassure Asian investors, worried by the consequences of the crisis of the euro on the global economy on the eve of the summit of the euro area.Francois Fillon, who had dinner Friday in Seoul (Korea) with its lean delegation (two ministers: Thierry Mariani and Edouard Courtial, a deputy, Eric Woerth) expressed their concern about the situation in the euro area. "He hopes that a solution will come out of the hat but he does not know why," says one of them.

Before the French in Tokyo, Prime Minister tried to be more optimistic, although he reiterated that Europe was going through "difficult times". "The European project that carries us for 60 years is threatened by the sovereign debt crisis (…) We have never had also require political will," he said in reference to Sarkozy's candidacy in 2012. "The euro protects us," he further argued, insisting that "the Europeans lift the mortgages against them" before the G20. "Otherwise, the summit will be cannibalized," said a member of the delegation.The prime minister took the opportunity to praise the reforms: "Our fiscal credibility remains one of the strongest in the world. This is the result of our reforms and our discipline, "he argued prowling the leitmotif of the pre-campaign:" All these measures respond to a single imperative: protect the French. "

Before the French in Tokyo, met in the luxurious residence of France, Fillon stressed one of his "record" three visits to Japan since 2007. "It's not over!" Launched an expatriate. "That's less about!" Joked Fillon, in an allusion to the period after 2012. Upon his return to Paris, the Prime Minister will be plunged back into political events, including Paris: the boss of the UMP, who wants to restore order in the federation after the failure of the Paris regional meeting of elected officials in Paris ."Cope plays firefighter arsonist to weaken Fillon (legislative candidates in 2012)," laments support the Prime Minister. The post-2012 has begun.

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