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Is there a grocer Carrefour to save? Faced with increasing difficulties of the second global retailer and the fall of its shares, its main shareholders, Colony Capital and Groupe Arnault, have resolved to part with its CEO Lars Olofsson. Recruited there just three years after Nestlé spent his entire career with the leading supplier of Carrefour, it has accumulated too many failures and disappointments to stay calmly in place. To replace it, the main shareholders, who refused Thursday to comment on our information, seek medical advice Francophile supermarkets.

No firm is appointed headhunters, and the board of Carrefour has left Lars Olofsson to the end of the year to prove itself.With a slogan to ensure that the group takes its objectives, several times revised downward, to carry on a 2011 operating profit down 20% from last year … For administrators, it is out of the question to make a new Carrefour profit warning and even less to allow the CEO to change again its executive committee. Furthermore, it is planned to start of the year stock of stores converted to the concept Planet, presented by Lars Olofsson as the solution for "re-enchant" the Carrefour hypermarkets. The decision will be made whether to continue the deployment of Planet.

Courted for months

In fact, without prejudice to all these results, the process of identifying the ideal candidate is already done. The best profile in the opinion of all experts (and only for the worst) is that of Georges Plassat.

The rate of return of their 10-year bond moving respectively above 6.6% and 6.5%, close to the 7% threshold reached by Italy on November 9 and found unmanageable over time for countries with high indebted. Finally, Germany is in the viewfinder of many observers who believe the country could experience a domino effect on the market.

The market is also hampered by the failure of negotiations in the "super committee" responsible for the debt of the United States payday advance. The twelve members of the joint committee, composed of six Republicans and six Democrats were responsible for the deficit of 1200 billion and had until midnight Wednesday to share their findings.

At 21, the little genius of the French sprint Christophe Lemaître, maddens the counters … and brands. Sought in recent years by more than a dozen of them (according to the Journal du Dimanche), the Savoyard finally chose mineral water from Aix-les-Bains as the first non-sport partnership (it has already been associated 2007 the Japanese OEM image Asics). A logical conclusion, the sprinter is already three years since the ambassador of the city where he lives and trains.

But unlike the previously mentioned ambassador status which would yield between 4000 and 4600 euros per month, this new association between the rider and the city passed this time by a private group.

Bottle collector bearing the image of the runner

The League of mineral waters of Aix-les-Bains is in fact owned by the Group of the Musketeers (owner of the sign distribution Intermarché).

Aged 71 years, Lucienne Harley lives with 800 euros per month for retirement. It certainly smiling again year after learning five years of perseverance in the courts, the finishing touches on the 10,000 euros that an advertisement had promised. "The perseverance of this remarkable person, says Nicolas Godefroy, head of legal department of the UFC-Que Choisir. Most people do not engage in legal proceedings because of the lengthy procedures and high fees. " Background: In 2006, the septuagenarian native of Lisieux (Calvados), receives a commercial e-mail Duchesne of the Belgian company specializing in the sale of household goods by mail. She learns that she has won the sum of 10,000 euros.

Having been refused the company says he is only a pre-draw, Lucienne Harley enters the District Court of Lisieux, which condemns the Belgian company to pay 10,000 euros payday loans in one hour. In March 2008, the Court of Appeal of Caen back on this decision. Enjoying full legal aid, Lucienne Haley continues free trial before the Court of Cassation, the highest French court. On 1 July 2010, the latter gives him succeed and break the decision of the Court of Appeal. "The existence of a hazard on the payment of the check was not clearly demonstrated," said the Court of Cassation.

Two months later, the Court of Appeal decided this time to condemn the company to pay his due: "The letter suggested that the pre-draw had already been made and that the gain was definitively established," justified? she said.

Inflation has picked up in October, after a lull last month. The consumer prices rose 0.2% over the month and 2.3% year on year. In September, inflation had declined surprise of 0.1% (+2.2% yoy), mainly due to seasonal price reductions observed at the end of the summer tourism. This month, it is especially clothing, food and tobacco prices shoot up.

The clothing and footwear (+2.2% over one month), suffer from the end of traditional promotions and balances of the summer.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced Monday, after a special cabinet, new austerity measures. The amount? Range evolves 6-8000000000 euros. The downward revision of growth in 2012 (1.75% to 1%) means to provide such an effort if France does not want its deficit skid.

Among the tracks mentioned: an increase in corporate tax (IS) for large companies and action on VAT. Specifically, according to reports, companies making more than 500 million euros in turnover should pay an additional tax (eg 10%). The nominal rate of corporation tax will not be found … but the big companies will actually pay more. And perhaps as early as the down payment in December. The state expects 1 billion additional revenue per year.Questioned by AFP, Matignon said that "nothing is definitely rigged," knowing that arbitration meetings with President Nicolas Sarkozy will take place this weekend.

Clearly playing the card of fiscal austerity, France hopes to control its deficit to calm the markets. And of course, maintain its triple "A" from the rating agencies. For the record, the budget deficit is expected to 80.8 billion euros in 2012, against 95.7 billion this year. In addition, the deficit should be increased from 5.7% this year to 4.5% in 2012 and 3% in 2013.

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Mounting amateur, his almost inaudible and characters presented as employees very unconvincing … The video posted by Cora stores on Youtube and Facebook completely misses its mission was to restore the group's image, tarnished by the affair of the cashier accused of theft for taking a receipt abandoned which included a coupon.

This video was supposed to show the brand in a new light. Many people just like to describe in an exaggerated way their "happiness" to work for the group, some 32 years. "Cora is my life," says one of them. "In a year I would go to retire and I would say thank you Cora," said another. Some speak about the controversy surrounding the case of receipt, "it saddens me a bit because it does not reflect what I saw on a daily basis no faxing 1 hour payday loans."

The implied question by the cashier of the case are also there: "I was very surprised that an employee fired for that is done, because Cora must go there to get fired. After I think we may not be aware of everything, there was a particular version, "said a young man shot in front of a coffee machine.

Perverse

On Youtube, Cora says, "This video was shot by the employees themselves" Saturday, October 29 following the controversy over the store Mondelange. " But users do not. Worse, they are unleashed on the Facebook page of the sign: "How dare you take the Internet for idiots?", "What propaganda two cents!", "Your approach is crude, stupid and really pathetic," " against your attack is an incredible mediocrity.

In early May, to everyone's surprise, he had not been declared worthy of a palace by the jury. A great controversy at the time … Four months later, the George V, consistently ranked among the best in the world is finally named Palace …! On the recommendation of the jury, the Parisian hotel becomes the ninth luxury hotel to win the award, given by Frédéric Lefebvre, Secretary of State for Tourism, for a period of five years."At its meeting on 8 September and under the regulations governing use of the mark" palace ", the jury made a further review of the application of the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris and decided to recommend to the hotel granting of the distinction palace, "said the jury in a statement issued by Trump France, responsible for the promotion of France.

"Since May, the board revisited the hotel and on the basis of new evidence, he said that George V was worthy of having the distinction," said Le Figaro academician Dominique Fernandez, his President. "We did not submit a new folder and nothing has changed in the hotel since last May," says the other hand a spokesman for George V.

The regulations governing use of the brand palace provides that a losing candidate to stand again (not three), without having to create a new folder.The jury, which decides on subjective criteria, is not required to explain his motives. Wednesday again, he was careful not to do so, despite the misunderstanding brought about by its decision to dismiss the first George V, before finally considering the palace, in a very short time. "This award palace, far from being an end, only reinforces the motivation of all employees to go deeper into the quest for perfection to continue to the Four Seasons Hotel George V reference in the Hotel World, "responded Christopher Norton yesterday, its chief executive.

A small score in the long term

A new session is scheduled for late November. Two hotels in Saint-Tropez, the Château de La Messardière and Byblos, are still candidates, and The Reserve at Ramatuelle. New applications are expected in January."The appointment of George V delights me, says Michel Jauslin, general manager of Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome. With us, the distinction has received a lot of the hotel, the echo went deep into China and Latin America. We have created interest because we are in an unexpected segment, the palace today. We saw this happen was a new customer, in addition to our loyal customers. Our occupancy rates are in the average Parisian palaces and the average price of our rooms – suites out – is 800 euros. "

Ultimately, how many hotels could become palaces? "We heard everything and anything. Given the excellence of this initial list of nine palaces, there should be a small twenty palaces in France in the short and medium term, providing Christian Mantei, director general of Trump France. Before the distinction is, too many luxury establishments said they were palaces.It ended happily. It is too early to measure the economic impact of the distinction on prices and attendance. "

LE FIGARO. – In March, you have confirmed your strategic plan. You present today a major restructuring program. What happened a few months?

Antoine Frérot. – We must accelerate the transformation of Veolia to a new model. Circumstances require. Our strategy has not changed in three months: we want to regain profitable growth. To achieve this, we must be more selective by focusing on industries and geographies well chosen rather than spread ourselves too thin, and generate an ability to maneuver by selling assets less attractive and reducing costs. The first results are there, but insufficient, he must go further and faster. The world has changed since January. Problems related to the financial structure of local government and sovereign debt of countries of southern Europe have worsened.They depress the economy and weigh on the purchasing power. Among the consequences, the pressure on the prices of water contracts in France is increasing. Moreover, the tensions in North Africa have had an impact on our business.

How will formalize this acceleration of the reorganization?

We operate in 77 countries and carries 79% of Veolia's sales in eight of them. We decided to give some to focus on 40 countries. In many countries, we carry less than 30 million euros in turnover. We will leave less than 10% of our business. Veolia is a global, but it is not intended to be present in every country in the world. We will leave some countries of southern Europe and northern Africa, and dispose of marginal activities.The dispersion of administrative costs and control excessive.

The group did he not been arrogant in its expansion?

Between 2003 and 2007, strong global growth has been the opportunity to expand into new countries. Central Europe and Asia, we did not know it would work so well. Other activities are less well developed. Only those who do not take risks do not make mistakes.After this expansion phase, we are in a phase of digestion and concentration, although there are also some great opportunities for profitable growth in a difficult period, provided to be extremely rigorous in their selection.

What are your priorities?

We want to develop expertise on rare occasions when the demand and profitability are strong in areas where our critical mass allows us to increase our business without additional structure. These include, for example, combined heat Poland, waste treatment in England and wastewater treatment in Central Europe. By focusing on what we know how and know less than our competitors do, we will maintain strong profitability.I would add that we want to develop our own, without additional debt.

Do you think the executive committee now has the same vision of the company. This was not the case before?

In new era, new team. With the pressure on prices, our cost reductions are insufficient. We must go further, which is difficult without changing the organization. Management must be mobilized to achieve our goals: to remove a layer in the organization, change the map of our business units and restructure our seats. This acceleration of the implementation of our strategy is the next step. Veolia must be more than ever in battle.

What is the impact of your savings plan in France?

In France, where we make 39% of our business, we must strengthen our management. Our seats are too numerous and sometimes redundant, they must reduce.We will also review the organization of our teams in our division for water efficiency.

Could you get a capital of Dalkia?

It depends on the strategy of our partner. My feeling is that EDF is now the job of energy efficiency.

The transport activity is less profitable than others. Can you speed up your withdrawal from this sector?

We already share this activity with a partner, CDC, and the proposed initial public offering is to provide the means for its development without mobilizing financing of the group.

All these measures are not they also a way to settle the age Proglio?

No. They have one goal: preparing the future of Veolia.

Emerging markets have gained a few percentages of voting rights since the reform as demanded by the IMF management. Their weight increased by 38.4% and 42.3% of the vote. But it is always the U.S. and the Europeans leading international institution in spite of the voting down 46% to 43.4%. These figures are determined theoretically based on State participation in financing the institution.

Countries are grouped by school, themselves represented by a director elected to the Board of Governors, the supreme decision making body of the IMF. Except for the most powerful of them. The United States, France, or Germany, but also Saudi Arabia or China, have a seat assigned to them.This system of representation for the pooled least major countries said that Spain, which supports the candidacy of Christine Lagarde, will vote for his opponent, Agustin Carstens. Indeed, his voice is attached to those countries in South America.

If the weight of each country into account, "the IMF tends to emphasize the consensus in the designation of candidates," said Jerome Sgard, research director at the Center for International Studies and Research (CERI). Large countries like Brazil and China, have not indicated their preference between Lagarde and Carstens. "This type of organizations do not publicize their internal conflicts", slipped the researcher.

In fact, the future boss of the IMF "is not elected," according to Jerome Sgard in an analysis published in Le Figaro."He is chosen, namely the international political establishment which gives it a personal mandate." In this race there, Christine Lagarde seems to have some advance on his Mexican challenger. Performance to be confirmed by June 30, when the "selection process" will be closed.

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