The asparagus season, marketed fresh in between March and June, is in full swing right now. And nice surprise for consumers, prices are down sharply. At Rungis, for example, a kilo of white asparagus was worth Wednesday between 4.80 and 6.90 euros per kilo following categories. A decrease of about 70 cents on the wholesale market which is largely passed on to consumers. "Asparagus, which fell 3 euros, are selling like hotcakes, welcomes a saleswoman Hyper U at Mayenne. Customers expect it and the radius was robbed. "

The French are lovers of this ultra-fresh vegetables, many nutritional values. They consume an average of 400 grams per person per year. Overall, local shops (markets, greengrocers and convenience stores) represents more than half of the distribution channel of asparagus. Another third of the volume is up in supermarkets. The remainder is sold through direct sales, which has grown significantly.

Land formerly of Excellence asparagus in Europe, France has seen its market share erode over the years. "Germany has become the European leader since 2003, says Angelique Delahaye, president of Vegetables in France. Its production has doubled in ten years with over 90,000 tons. "And to the detriment of France, who is now the fourth largest in Europe, 18,200 tons, after Italy (44,000 tonnes) and Spain (50,400 tons). In ten years, France has seen its acreage decline of 43%, to 5,525 hectares, according to the parliamentary report coordinated by the Deputy Mayor of Agen Jean Dionis du Sejour. At the same time, the surfaces increased 64% across the Rhine, to 21,815 hectares.

Picking Sunday

This new hegemony of Germany in the production of asparagus owes nothing to chance. First, the Germans love it and there is an ancient food culture where the asparagus accommodates many meals. Then, the country is rich in deep sandy soil, very favorable for growing asparagus. Last but not least Germany, already unbeatable in the industry, is becoming the champion of competitiveness in agriculture all forms of production. "The workforce represents 70% of the cost of production of asparagus in France. Despite a recent decline in expenses, the cost of a seasonal schedule is almost twice as high at home in Germany ", says Angelique Delahaye. Currently, the hourly wage of a seasonal employer costs included, is around 10 euros. In Germany, according to the region, it varies between 4 and 6 euros an hour. Last detail, in France, "the seasonal can not pick the asparagus on Sunday, when he must harvest in high season vegetables every day," says Angelique Delahaye.

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A cold shower. Francois Hollande and Jean-Marc Ayrault, the new duo at the head of the executive, could not begin their terms with worse prospects on the employment front. According to the Bureau of Unedic, the unemployment insurance system – that can not be accused of anti-hollandisme since it is composed, for half, representatives of trade unions – the number of registered unemployed in Class A (no activity) should swell to 178,500 in 2012 and then to 128,300 next year. A total of 306,800 additional people in two years, an increase of 10.6% over current levels.

This would be a disaster for the head of state who is committed during the campaign to reverse the unemployment curve, within one year after his election. To revise its forecast of 2012 and first establish financial and employment projections for 2013, services Unedic have incorporated into their models – reliable, in general – the new growth assumptions adopted by the consensus of economists (+ 0 , 3% and +1% of GDP for the current year and the next).

Scenario B more positive

If you look at job seekers who exercised reduced activity (categories B and C), increasing the total number of unemployed in the Hexagon will be even higher than 110,200, representing an increase of 9.7% in two years. Main explanation: the employment should fall further to 91,300 units in two years, bringing to nearly 300,000 the number of jobs destroyed in the Hexagon on the equivalent of a seven-year term. These poor forecasts, if realized, would further aggravate a little hole Unedic whose accumulated deficit frôlerait 18.2 billion euros end 2013. A record.

The new president and his prime minister, however, will find two tiny glimmers of hope in the fifteen pages of notes prediction Unedic. First, the deficit expected in late 2012 was revised downwards (from 1.3 billion euros) compared to recent estimates, established mid-January because of poor advance of revenues and expenditures. Second, the unemployment insurance system has also established a scenario B if growth would be higher in 2012 and 2013 – the bet made by Francois Hollande with the policies he wants to implement.  

If the GDP grew by 0.7% this year and 1.4% in 2013, the rising number of unemployed in Class A would be reduced to 169,200 over two years (half that in the central hypothesis) and the economy would begin to create jobs in 2013, with a positive balance of about 53,300 jobs by the end of next year.

The impact on the finances of Unedic would be immediate: the debt would be reduced to 17.2 billion at end 2013, one billion less than the central scenario. A completely different horizon.

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Angela Merkel to hold the said it is preparing to receive the head of state in Europe who feel most attached to the euro. If it should remain a single country in the single currency – strange paradox – it would be France. While London bookmakers have stopped betting on an output of Greece, both in their likelihood seems strong (4 against 1), France is the country where the probability of abandonment of the single currency seems most low, with a score of 20 against 1. Our risk of secession is smaller than that of Germany (14/1) and a fortiori of Spain (12/1).

Without being scientific opinion of the bookmakers perfectly expresses the historical reality. It was François Mitterrand, who had pressured Kohl to waive its Deutsche Mark, symbol of German success, and not vice versa. And now the fear of Germany going it alone is not negligible.

The Judgment of Solomon

This is certainly not an asset but to enter a negotiation being as attached to the object of bargaining. In the judgment of Solomon, the true mother would rather give up her child rather than see it cut in half as we offered him. Lionel Jospin had experienced to his cost in June 1997, when he requested a trustee appoint a growth component in the Stability Pact. This was done in terms of the Treaty of Amsterdam – the city from the top – where you added "and growth", a mere rhetorical flourish. And a few months later, when a new record for employment in Luxembourg, the "socialist left" vain declare that "social Europe deserves a euro crisis," the threat was empty guaranteed cash advance.

This time the chances of reaching a "compromise" in the words of Pierre Moscovici, the campaign manager Francois Hollande, are much greater. Unlike the summer of 1997 where she had already begun a recovery, the European economy is in recession. Face a fundamental problem that it does not deny, Angela Merkel has also taken the lead. Of the six points it offers (see above) are the "projects bonds" financing investment projects. The kinship is more than semantics with the "Eurobonds", aimed at pooling, in part, public debts … and that excludes Berlin.

In the French camp, Michel Sapin, a bright future ministry, just recognized the dangers of renewed worsening deficits and debt. This concession to the Chancellor will she meet up at any price schedule of deficit reduction, or do we give to the freeze?

At stake is the reputation of a "Holland, Roosevelt again for Europe", the socialist economist Thomas Piketty, apostle of tax benefits, strives to accredit Urbi et Orbi. But do not forget that New Deal also includes structural reforms. This component is part of the negotiation that engages in Europe, as evidenced by the fact-finding mission that has just visited Brussels to Paris, as well as in eleven other European economies face obvious problems of competitiveness. Its findings will be formally presented on May 30

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Since Friday, the plant Fralib is occupied by its employees. A situation that is denounced by the president of Unilever France, Bruno Witvoët. "This is unacceptable in a constitutional state, says in an interview in Paris-Today-in-France. Such a coup with hooded individuals armed with baseball bats and batons, it is not of union action, it's a commando! ". The boss of Unilever France claiming the expulsion "immediate and prompt action with law enforcement" employees, has also filed a complaint for "physical threats" from the police. "From fabrications," Olivier replied Leberquier, CGT union. According to the police of Aubagne, intervened at the scene, there would have been no collision.

"Holland must keep its promises"

"Closing a plant is always a very difficult decision, Bruno recognizes Witvoët. But in some cases – including tea bags – we have overcapacity. This is justified in stopping this site ". He said Unilever has taken responsibility in the case of employees of Fralib, accepting "to add additional resources for the revitalization of the local employment" as required by justice. "Funds for creating new jobs has increased from 1 to 1.5 million euros" and "each dismissed employee is entitled to an internal transfer, pay the same conditions, in one of six other plants in France , "he said.

This new twist, the 592nd day of the conflict comes as 80 of the 103 employees still struggle, of 182 initially received their letter of dismissal. At the same time, a moving company came to do a quote on the site, and management proposed the CGT to move out of its local business, or in organizing the escorted access, for reasons of safety concerns, dismantling machinery. A scenario rejected by the union, which wants to keep the tool working on site to implement an alternative plan of recovery of activity.

Given this situation, unions are demanding the intervention of Francois Hollande. During the presidential campaign, President-elect said: "Nothing is done, nothing is guaranteed and if victory comes, I will also be at your side, President of the French Republic, to get your site live, had he launched at a meeting of employees Fralib in Paris in February. "The company is now under the control of the CGT and the Netherlands should keep its promises. His election is a ray of hope, "says Olivier Leberquier. The standoff between employees Fralib and its direction is far from over.

Presidential in major cities Paris | Leeds | Lyons | Toulouse | Leeds | Sheffield | Liverpool | Bordeaux | Lille

The UK is preparing to be the center of the world during the Olympic Games in London this summer. But within three months of maturity, the British border crossing is now turning to chaos. Heathrow Airport is at the heart of controversy because of long queues to pass checkpoints immigration. A study by the British Airport Authority said Thursday record three hours of waiting found last Monday in terminal 4. Control agents were sent into a disaster of Manchester in an attempt to streamline the situation.

Tails more than two hours were common in April, while the objectives of the immigration agency, United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA), were exceeded for a quarter of passengers 23 days on the 30th of last month. The agency has set an average time of 25 minutes for European citizens and 45 minutes for non-Europeans.

The UKBA had previously sought to minimize the problem. The Immigration Minister, Damian Green, was summoned to explain to the House of Commons, went to Heathrow Monday during a quiet time and was considered "exaggerated" reports on delays. He attributed the delays to bad weather. The boss of British Airways, Willie Walsh has accused the government of "deceiving public opinion" and be "unable to cope with a major problem."

David Cameron himself has described the aftermath as "unacceptable" these delays and asked the competent authorities to act. The outgoing mayor of London, Boris Johnson, wrote to the Interior Minister, Theresa May, in indignant at "the disastrous impression in the UK" and asked him to "rectify the situation for both the Olympics and to manage the normal flow of passengers. "

Downsizing

Largest airport in Europe (and the third world), Heathrow, with 69 million passengers a year, bordering on saturation. London expects 3-5000000 more visitors during the Olympics. The engorgement of its border resulting from the conjunction of several factors.

Last fall, the agency Immigration and Theresa May had been questioned after the revelation of controls "relaxed" on arrival, neglecting the systematic verification of passports of visitors to accelerate the pace. A careful examination papers has been reinstated immediately, lengthening the time. Meanwhile, the UK Border Agency is facing a rise in traffic with fewer staff. The severe budget cuts decided by the government resulted in a decrease of 10% of its workforce since 2010, and an additional 15% could be eliminated by 2015. To make matters worse, the agency staff must go on strike next Thursday, as the entire public service, for retirement. The UKBA has announced the hiring of 80 people from this month and announced it planned reinforcements of 480 officers during the Olympics.

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For the second consecutive month, the fuel consumption in France is declining. According to statistics released Monday by the French Union of Petroleum Industries (UFIP), according to data of the Professional Committee of oil (PDCC), fuel shipments in March were down 3.5% from the month of March of last year, reaching 4.2 million cubic meters.

The unleaded fall of 9.1% and diesel, which now accounts for 81.2% market share in France, 2.1%. In February, fuel deliveries had fallen by 1.6% YoY: -7.3% for super, -0.3% for diesel.

This decline in consumption is observed when the pump prices hitting their highs. 1.6619 euro at the average price of a liter of unleaded 95 (SP95) April 6 calculated by the government sprays the peaks of summer 2008 (1.4971 euro June 20, 2008), while the SP98 s' flies to 1.7121 euro per liter.

The euro weakened against the greenback

Gas stations in Paris, who occasionally exceeded the symbolic price of 2 euros per liter, have recently attracted national publicity which they would be well spent business card templates. The preferred fuel of the French, the diesel was selling for an average of 1.4347 euro per liter on April 6, just below the record 2008 which corresponded to a barrel to $ 147, against about $ 120 currently.

The pump price multiplied records while crude oil is trading for less than four years ago, because meanwhile the euro weakened against the greenback, currency exchange gold black. Expressed in European currency, the barrel is the highest.

Consumption of petroleum fuels in France fell by 1.6% from 2007 to 2010. Within this time, the evolution of cars, which account for new models increasingly sober, has had an impact on demand.

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Nicolas Sarkozy retorted tit for tat. Questioned Tuesday by Anne Lauvergeon in an interview published by L'Express, the Head of State, on Friday invited to iTV, has applied to meet about the former president of Areva. "All this is of politicking," he judged. "What makes it less credible that Lauvergeon said was that she waited to be put out to challenge a system that she wanted to continue to participate in the first place as president of Areva," Nicolas Sarkozy has argued low fee payday loans.

He also underlined the political commitment of the former CEO, also old Sherpa Mitterrand: "It is now the president of Liberation, with a known commitment to the left". Lauvergeon has headed the supervisory board of the newspaper in July 2011.

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At the entrance, the staff welcomes you with a "hello-namaste." In the room, remind you of Paris macarons, but the decor is no doubt: you are in India. At the table, it offers a good curry and burgundy … Welcome to the Sofitel Mumbai KBC, the first hotel brand in India since its move upmarket, which began in 2007. The first stone was laid that year in the new business district of Bombay, near the largest stock of diamonds. The hotel was inaugurated this week. "The biggest challenge in India, the construction time. There are a lot of bureaucracy. We had to ask more than one hundred licenses, "said Robert Gaymer-Jones, CEO Sofitel Worldwide.

The 5-star luxury 302 rooms (first prize $ 250 a night) employing 520 people is to compete with the chains located in Bombay: Indian Taj and the Oberoi, but Four Seasons, Hyatt, Westin and Shangri-Here which opened its first facility in mid-June "There is not enough supply, so there is market share to take," said Denis Hennequin, CEO of Accor, decided to accelerate in India. The group has 15 hotels today and will end the year at 23. We stay away from the expansion in China, where Accor has more than 120 addresses. "There are high barriers to entry into India. Everything takes time. We must find the right partners, "explains Denis Hennequin. Eleven openings are planned this year, with five this month, the first Pullman and Formule 1.

Goal of becoming the first hotel outside India

By 2015, Denis Hennequin is 90 hotels open or under construction and the place of the first international hotel group in India. "This represents a sixty hotels open," says Christian Karaoglanian, managing director of hotel development, which indicates that 30 to 40 million euros are invested annually in India, where the group is developing with local partners. The Sofitel Mumbai represented an investment of about fifteen million euros for Accor, which owns some of the walls. All operations undertaken in India is so far a total of 223 million euros worth of assets of 1.15 billion.

The leading position covered by Denis Hennequin is occupied by Carlson, with 52 hotels. The battle promises to be tight. "We have a very privileged position in India that is the envy said Hubert Joly, CEO of Carlson. We will try to keep it. "The group plans to build 48 hotels and has signed a partnership agreement with the Indian Bestech Hospitalities to open fifty Park Inn by 2024.

But places are to be taken. "There are 150,000 hotel rooms across India, as well as in the city of Shanghai," said Christian Karaoglanian. Accor, the openings will be especially Formula 1, Ibis and Novotel. Sofitel two are scheduled to Bombay with a "So Sofitel" contemporary design. Outside of Bombay, Robert Gaymer-Jones looks as opportunities in Delhi, Bangalore and Goa.

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Electricity bills and fuel have been salted for the month of February. According to INSEE, household consumption has jumped from 3% in February as a result largely of the "sharp increase" of 11.7% in energy costs over the month. Moreover, "the cold snap would boosted purchases of winter clothing," notes INSEE, which noted a 5.7% rebound in apparel purchases, after a fall on the last two months.

This unexpected buoyancy (the market had forecast a rise in consumption of 0.2%) is unlikely to last. For starters, "we expect a drop in energy consumption in March, the weather being much milder than usual," Analysis Dominique Barbet, an economist at BNP Paribas guaranteed personal loan approval. Spending on "durable goods" (household goods, autos) fell slightly in February (-0.7%).

Especially, the prospects are not good. According to the latest survey of consumer sentiment, they do not plan to make major purchases, likely to support consumption, and therefore French growth. Finally, "stagnating incomes suggests that households will not increase their spending significantly," anticipates Alain Carbon, an economist at Natixis.

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