Roche Bobois this year hopes to become more international than French. "We should exceed the threshold in 2012 for 50% of our revenues generated outside our home market," states Gilles Bonan, CEO of Roche Bobois. Look outside the borders, nothing is more natural for this family company whose reputation has been built from 1960 on the distribution of Scandinavian furniture. Today, it was his Mah Jong sofa that draws customers Italians, Americans and Chinese.

"We continue to open this year a store per month, with many more applications for candidacy for the franchise a few years ago, says Gilles Bonan. Philippines, Argentina, Seoul, Abidjan, Indonesia at the end of the year, Roche Bobois, accompanied by the word "Paris" out of France, succeeds in distant lands.

In this context, Roche Bobois is looking for a new shareholder. While the group has lost one of its founders, Philippe Roche, a sale of a majority is no longer on the agenda, ensures Gilles Bonan. Three years ago, families and Roche Chouan had sought to organize a "transmission process more meaningful capital", having already sold a 15% share to funds and Azulis Siparex in 2001. Both funds "are intended to come out and be replaced by a new minority shareholder," according to the leader, and it likely this year.

Manhattan, Harrods and Printemps

2012 will also be marked by the reworking of the upcoming flagship store in Manhattan low fee cash advance. "We are in the Americas since 1974, but sales have nevertheless increased by about 20% in 2010 and 2011," Bonan said Gilles. Another success for the premium brand, which is not to be perceived as luxury, his corner at Harrods in London. Opened in 2010, he became the fourth store in its turnover. Even the more mature markets are reservoirs of growth. Germany is thus in the viewfinder of the sign: a third store has just opened there, but the potential is estimated at thirty.

In its home market, Roche Bobois returned last September to Spring Boulevard Haussmann. "In France, while the market is stagnating, sales rose 3% in 2011," says Gilles Bonan. An increase similar to that of total turnover, from 3.8% in constant number of stores. "These past five years, with the exception of 2009, growth was more than 3%," added the leader. Three years ago, sales were down 4%, and Roche Bobois had given Colonial House, House and renamed Co. This year, priority will be to the continued recovery of another sign of the group, Natuzzi, which saw its sales drop 12% last year. Five stores brand Italian sofas come close. Moreover, the sign Leather Center was "repositioned", with sales growth of 7% in 2011 to the key.

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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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Concern is growing about employment in the telecom sector. Jean-Claude Mailly, general secretary of the Workers Force, wrote to Constable telecom (ARCEP), with a copy to Francois Fillon, a letter to "attract (his) attention to the impact of the fourth mobile license in the sector ". An appointment was set with the President of ARCEP, Jean-Ludovic Silicani next Monday late afternoon.

"Our fears are a large alignment with lowest social ultimately affect employees in terms of pay, job destruction and group benefits and more generally on the future of this branch , "wrote Jean-Claude Mailly. "The public authorities must establish as quickly as a regulated framework for preventing the destruction of jobs and preventing these abuses do not fall into place," he adds.

Concerns for call centers

End of March, in an interview with Le Figaro, Jean-Ludovic Silicani indicated that the sector "risks losing about 10,000 jobs in two years." But this destruction should be creating value, generating new jobs at Free Mobile first, but also in related sectors such as electronic commerce or the Web.

A macro view is far from convincing FO. "Our feedback from the field we are rather echoes of 30,000 job cuts on the entire industry," said Pascal Pavageau, FO confederal secretary in charge of economic and industrial.

Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom, destabilized by the arrival of a new competitor, of course, have interest in stirring the cloth of employment quick guaranteed personal loans. "Some may want to cry wolf. But we see that restructuring is already underway among operators: contracts are stopped, benefits with subcontractors shall be adopted, the new hires are canceled and call centers are now going abroad, " Pavageau said Pascal, even claiming that "3% to 7% of jobs in France are starting to be outsourced, mainly on call centers." In the medium term, the union also fears that the sector is no longer able to invest as much in development, innovation and research and development.

That is seeking its FO meeting with the regulator? "First, we want to immediately and quickly, from the regulator and the government, an overview of employment in the sector, says Pascal Pavageau. Second, we want the government obtain a commitment of four operators in the maintenance of employment in France and their investment opportunities. "

The union will even consider that Oseo or ISPs may be called on to provide funding, if necessary.

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This choice is a surprise. A native of Korea, physician training, graduate of Harvard and Brown, Jim Yong Kim is not known in international financial circles. However it is in the world of health and development, particularly for his efforts against AIDS and tuberculosis. He specifically directed the Department to Fight against AIDS of the World Health Organization.

The management of the development institution is traditionally an American, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has always been attributed to a European. The odds of Jim Yong Kim selection by the board of directors of the bank amounted to the extent that the United States, the largest shareholder of the World Bank, has the support of European countries, Japan and many countries emerging.

Hours before the announcement by President Obama, South Africa had formally proposed that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerian Finance Minister, and former World Bank director, succeeds Robert Zoellick, whose term as U payday lenders.S. President the bank comes to an end in late June. As at the choice of Christine Lagarde last June to head the IMF, rich countries have promised an emerging open and transparent process of selection that results in the designation of the most qualified candidate. Despite this commitment, developing countries find that their chances to win one of them are tiny. Their inability to agree on a single candidate is indeed an enormous handicap.

Jim Yong Kim is expected in the coming days begin a journey in the great capitals of the world to present his candidacy and convince shareholders of the World Bank of the correctness of its strategy to fight poverty and underdevelopment.

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EU leaders breathed a sigh of relief Friday after the success of the voluntary exchange of Greek debt, 85.8% subscribed by private creditors. Within the euro area, this is Nicolas Sarkozy, who hosted the agreement with more enthusiasm. "I am pleased that we have found a solution to the Greek crisis plaguing the financial economic situation of Europe and the world for months," welcomed the French president, traveling to Nice election. "With Angela Merkel we worked day and night to find a solution," he recalled. "Today, the problem is solved, and the page of the financial crisis is beginning to turn" it was welcomed.

In Berlin, the reaction was more cautious. According to the spokesman of the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel is "encouraged" by the agreement. "It would be a big mistake to give the impression that the crisis is resolved," warned the German Minister Wolfgang Schauble Finances.Pour "an important step was taken, but we are not out of the woods."

The agreement sealed between Athens and its private creditors will erase 107 billion euros of debt, a total of 350 billion. This is a historic debt reduction. It must allow the Greek debt, which now reaches 160% of GDP, reaching 120.5% in 2020, a ratio similar to that of Italy.

"This agreement allows more to protect Europe from Greece to help that Greece itself" summarizes Jacob Kirkegaard, a researcher at Washington. Photo credits: Kostas Tsironis / Bloomberg

A record. Triplex of 780 m2 in the heart of the capital is on sale for 46 million euros. With 60,000 euros per square meter, this is the first time a well as expensive is listed in Paris. This luxury apartment, located 42, avenue du Président-Kennedy in the sixteenth district, was inhabited in the early 1960s by the legendary couple of French cinema, Alain Delon and Romy Schneider. Overlooking the Seine, in an upscale neighborhood of the capital, it boasts an unrivaled location.

Some parts of the apartment are furnished in a modern style. Photo Credits: Paris West Sotheby's International Realty

They are every year more and more people choosing agriculture to bounce professionally. It used to be was a farmer from father to son. "Now more than a quarter of young people have just installed another workplace or have been outside the farm before returning," says Christiane Lambert, senior vice president of the FNSEA (National Federation of farmers). This is for example the case of five young people who come to create a GAEC (farming group operating in common), Radish & Co, specializing in organic farming, located in Mayenne.

They include a baker, farmer, Gwendal Bazin, two gardeners, Robert-Jan and Yannick Devinik Rouseau, a rancher, Marc Besnier, and a cheese maker, Steve Milosevic. "We chose to produce basic food with a commitment to practice for organic farming using compost from such an activity of milk to fertilize the land, farmers' seeds and collecting the runoff," they explain . While focusing on short distribution through the AMAP (Association for the maintenance of peasant agriculture).

The women won

Another example is that of Jean-Cyril, former spokesman of an international NGO fighting against poverty and injustice paydayloan. Farmer's son, he spent a patent professional farm manager with the prospect of settling in the Dordogne.

Women, too, conquered by the call of the earth. Isabelle Horses, stay at home mom for seventeen years, participated in a training assistant sommelier in 1997. It incorporates a large area and then a plant and finally a group of winemakers operators of Lons le Saunier in 2006, working as wine. "The wine and the agricultural community fascinate me. I like working outdoors and crafts, "she says. Only downside, it gets a little more than the minimum wage, "which is not very rewarding when you know the price of bottles. We must encourage young people to integrate this kind of jobs they will not regret it. "

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After four days of an unpopular strike, the Air France pilots looking to get out of the conflict from the top. The crew of the company reiterated Thursday its opposition to the bill regulating the right to strike in the airline industry and imposing a guaranteed service.

A delegation of trade unions must be received at 11 am Friday morning by the Minister for Transport Thierry Mariani. This meeting should not lead to much. "We're not there to find common ground with the unions, but to organize a guaranteed service," warned Thierry Mariani Thursday.

Within hours of the meeting, the minister's entourage confirmed Friday morning hostility to any negotiation. "The meeting should quickly cut short, says one close to the minister. We have nothing to say and nothing to negotiate. "

So, it could be internally that could come after the conflict. "Stability of schedules" which are very attached to the pilots could indeed be negotiated as part of a stipulated agreement with the management of Air France. According to the strikers, the obligation to declare 48 hours before the strike is inadmissible because it will allow the company to organize and make the social movement painless for customers.

A management commitment to the company on a stable schedule will prevent to use of non-strikers rest to ensure flights during strikes and then work to the strikers on their days off when they returned to work. Such an agreement would render the bill of its substance and its effectiveness but allow everyone – and most unions – to save face.

"Blocking the company with 20% of strikers"

"The framing of the strike was finally accepted in 2007 by SNCF workers where work organization is different from ours, said a member of the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL). In our business of flying, there are only 15% of staff who works every day to 48 hours before declaring strike is killing the strike. "

An argument that does not convince in the ranks of the majority: "When there will be 80% of strikers, there will be 80% of flights canceled, said a relative of the Minister of Transport. The real reason for this hostility to the bill is to continue to weigh and to block the company with 20% of strikers. "

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"Our credibility implies the success of our monetary policy to anchor inflation expectations in the medium and long term (…) to sustain growth, job creation and financial stability. And we make this contribution in full independence, "insisted Mario Draghi.You must not wait any longer. "

Mario Draghi anticipates a decline in inflation

In his statements on Friday, the President of the ECB also said it expects a weakening "in most advanced economies." Specifically, "in the euro area, downside risks to the outlook have increased, and activity weakened moderate the pressure on prices," he added. One way, perhaps, pave the way for a new lower interest rate in December. In early November, the ECB has declined by 25 basis points (or 0.25%) to 1.25%.

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