"Te koop," panels "for sale" are hung at the windows of apartments in Rotterdam as those of great houses in Het Gooi, privileged region of local stars. "On average, a rest house for sale 159 days, 80 days against five years ago: the number of properties for sale has doubled, while prices continue to fall," said Roeland Kimman, spokesman for the NVM.

The first quarter of 2012 was the worst since 2008. The number of transactions fell by 15.6% over the last quarter of 2011. During the same period, the average price of a property fell 2.8%. In April, the fall was even 4.7% over one month. "Buyers are desperately short of confidence," says Eduard Vaandrager, agent in Keizerskroon Makelaars in Amsterdam.

Lower prices undermines consumer confidence, which weighs on consumption. The government attempted to revive the market by lowering the tax on property sales from 6% to 2%. In vain. "To stabilize the market, we should reform the estate tax credit," said Peter Boelhouwer, housing expert at the University of Delft. Arrested in France, Great Britain, Sweden and Norway this grant does not exist in Germany. "In the Netherlands, this has driven prices in the 1990s and early 2000. This is an expensive item – € 9 billion per year – but nobody dares to touch it, because 58% of Dutch owners are, "says the specialist.

Risk loans

Apparently favorable first-time buyers, this grant supports the richest: "Consider a person who borrows at 5% for a house of 600,000 euros. If it is in the tax bracket higher, it may deduct 52% of his monthly payments of taxes and pay only 15,000 euros per year, "says Eduard Vaandrager.

Despite the crisis, the government decided to maintain the subsidy, so as not to accelerate the fall in prices. But it now requires borrowers to repay their loan in 30 years maximum. This concludes a series of mortgages, that only allow full reimbursement of the loan and the sale of the property.

Comfortable in times of rising prices, borrowing against the value of the property become very dangerous when prices fall. "If the owner can not sell his property at the agreed price with the bank, he finds himself with a very large debt," says Ivo Arnold, a professor at the Erasmus School of Economics. As a result, owners waive sale. "Thank goodness that there has been no speculation, as in Spain!" Says Peter Boelhouwer.

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No miracle. Greece's gross domestic product will fall by "around 5%" this year, suffering a fifth year of recession, acknowledged Tuesday the Bank of Greece. The plunge "will be less pronounced than in 2011", where GDP fell 6.9%, concedes the national bank, but 0.5 points higher than it expected in March. And it is also necessary that the restructuring measures promised by Athens to be "implemented without delay."

Unemployment, says the Bank of Greece, will exceed 12% of the workforce this year, against 17.7% last year, while inflation will be around 1.2%. And the future of the country, which aims for this year a deficit of 7% of GDP and a reduction of its debt to 145.5%, against 9.1% and 165.3% in 2011, rests entirely on the recapitalization of its banks, thanks to 50 billion euros in aid provided by its creditors. They were accused last year a record loss of 27.9 billion euros.

For Panagiotis Tampoureas, director of development pole of the ATE bank in Athens, the estimate of the central bank "is still very optimistic." In his view, the continued decline in wages and consumption can only increase at half the recession yet.

If the Governor of the Bank of Greece, George Provopoulos, underscores, once again warned his country against the risk of leaving the euro area, it must consider the uncertainties posed by parliamentary elections on May 6 Although 36 parties have submitted bids, Greece will probably have to seek a coalition government between the conservative New Democracy and PASOK socialist.

Pension fraud

Will it have the means to stay the course of rigor? This is not won. The government has discovered 200,000 cases of fraud in pensions and social benefits over two years – enough to save over 800 million euros a year.

The Ministry of Labour has also identified 4,000 businesses that reported the imputed social contributions. And Greece, which combines a shortfall of 60 billion euros in unpaid taxes, is preparing to create an electronic record capable of correlating all transactions of taxpayers with the banks, credit insurance, hospitals and all public services. He could emerge from this year and significantly reduce tax evasion.

But the Greek authorities also face another reality of the crisis. In the first half of this year, calculates the European Commission, a thousand individual companies will put the key under the door every week in the country. This is the same economic base of Greece disappears. In 2010, there were indeed very small companies with 742,600 total 2.51 million employees, over 85% of total employment in the country.

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Nostalgic for 7 on 7, the emission of TF1 mythical 1980s and 1990s, will closely follow the two election night of 22 April and 6 May 2012 BFMTV. They gather Anne Sinclair, current director of the Huffington Post website France, and Ruth Elkrief, the editor of the news channel. Anne Sinclair was presented 7 on 7 September 1987 to June 1997. After retiring from the small screen, the show, renamed Public, was presented by Ruth Elkrief from 1998 to 2000.

This is Anne Sinclair herself who suggested to Alain Weill, CEO of NextRadioTV, the parent of BFMTV, to attend both evenings, confirms the latter. "Many of these talents will come together on two evenings BFMTV," he adds.

18 am to midnight, special editions of April 22 (first round of the presidential election) and May 6 (second round) will be led by Alain Marshall, host of "20 hours" on the news channel. It is surrounded by two great figures of the chain Olivier Mazerolle and Ruth Elkrief, faithful since the launch of BFMTV on TNT in 2005.

Anne Sinclair will discuss some of the columnists on the board including Alain Madelin, Luc Ferry, Dély Renaud, Eric Brunet, Jacques Seguela, Jean-Francois Kahn, Caroline and Christopher Fourest Jakubyszyn, the managing editor of the RMC radio, other NextRadioTV subsidiary.

Organizing publicity stunts

The partnership between the Huffington Post and BFMTV France is practically limited to the presence of Anne Sinclair. The site will broadcast the images of BFMTV well, but not participate in the device's web news channel.

Despite a plateau prestigious BFMTV no exception to the calling with "a priority to live in the campaign headquarters of various political parties and a priority to images," said Alain Weill.

The arrival of Anne Sinclair on the set of BMFTV is one of the "success stories" in which the chain is familiar. For his first presidential campaign in 2007 BFMTV, whose hearings were still confidential, was observed by organizing the debate between Ségolène Royal and François Bayrou between the two towers.

In seven years, the small chain of information has emerged in the French media landscape. Created from scratch in 2005, today it is the first in France with an audience share of 1.6% in February, according Médiamétrie. An audience twice that of its rival on DTT, i-TV, a subsidiary of Canal +, however, created in 1999.

The third news channel, LCI, TF1 subsidiary, has no occasion to interfere in the match as it is broadcast on DTT, cable and satellite.

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The most comprehensive, but also the later: it is the strength and weakness of the annual real estate market drawn up by notaries. Unveiled Thursday morning, it strengthens the contours of the market in 2011, as has been described by most professional.

First confirmation: the record number of transactions (837,000 in 2006) was beaten with 858,200 transactions in France (710,000 and 148,200 in the provinces in the Ile-de-France). Extraordinary figures boosted by the PTZ +, low rates and the effect of capital gains those wanting to sell before the tax change.

Regarding prices, the existing apartments has increased on average by 6.5% year on year across the country with peaks at 9% in cities such as Lyon or Bordeaux. Notaries are, however, that the rates showed a slight decline since the fourth quarter.

As for old houses, the increase was 2.1% in France with a more pronounced jump in the Ile-de-France (+5.7%) than in the provinces (1.3%). Again prices are trending down since October 2011 (-1.3% over the quarter).

Notaries cautious for 2012

This assessment also helps wring the neck of a preconceived idea: purchases by foreigners does nothing to explain the rate increase. The proportion of transactions by foreigners is only 5.3% in 2011 and this figure "is stable for several years," reveals the notaries.

However, statistics notary confirms that younger people are increasingly excluded from homeownership. Thus, for existing homes, the share of buyers under 30 years increased from 18.3% in 2010 to 16.6% in 2011. This figure continues to decline since 2008. Only the north and east of France still seem accessible to these age groups. By cons, the transactions made by more than 60 years continue, they move forward. More than ever attracted by the safe haven of real estate, buyers seniors increased from 12.5% ​​in 2010 to 14.5% last year.

About the game predictions for 2012, notaries are more cautious than ever. If they announced without much risk of error that the volume of sales expected to decline in 2012 in the former as in the new, they make no reference to range in price developments. They just remember that the expected trend "would be the best stability of the favorite places in Paris and most dynamic cities." Moreover, the drop should be at an appointment and to continue in 2013 "but in a less clear than that found in the hole estate of 2008/2009."

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Then prices will drop? In this ritual question about real estate professionals meet today with a little yes. Certainly not a solid yes, frankly, but yes a little, and that is something. Even in the Ile-de-France and Paris, the traditional stronghold of the rise, things are changing. "In 2012, prices should fall by about 5 to 10% in the Ile-de-France," say solicitors. "We expect a relatively sharp decline in activity this year, about 20%, but a decline of more than 5% of prices in France," ahead of his side Pallincourt Rene, President of Fnaim, who is about to give up his siège.Au beyond the delicate exercise of global forecasting, rather symbolic as the evolution of prices can vary depending on the asset markets, all professionals describe the same picture, that of a market slows down, where transactions are less easily. But none ventured to compare the situation to that of 2008. "At that point, everything had stopped, said Sebastien de Lafond, President Meilleursagents.com. This is not the case today, the market remains fluid, even if transaction times are getting longer cheap credit report. "What has changed in six months? Much and little at a time. Laurent Vimont, president of Century 21, says "a sharp contraction in sales, including in Paris." The slowdown is real: last year, with about 850,000 sales in the former, was a record. This year, professionals expect between 700,000 and 740,000 sales only. "We lost buyers since last July. The apartments and houses that have a default and are too expensive are the same most visited, "said Sebastien de Lafond. "What is new is that Paris is affected by volume, whereas it was the last market to be in 2008," said Mr. Bazaille, president of the Institute for Notarial real estate. The sluggish housing market is not good news for local authorities and public finances. And the change in taxation of capital gains might not make the tax revenue espérées.Finies, flights, quarter after quarter.

"More than at any price"

appetite for stone is real. Credits: Jean-Michel Turpin / Fedephoto

Since the beginning of the year, France can count on a new ambassador in U.S. supermarkets: the Teddy Bear Marshmallow. The chocolate confectionery iconic Cémoi, which this year celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, was called "So Pretty" across the Atlantic. She will seduce children and adults in Canada and the United States. They currently represent a drop from the 400 million Bears produced annually in the plant Villeneuve d'Ascq.

"We ask our pawns in North America, says Patrick Poirrier, CEO Cémoi first chocolatier in the Hexagon with his trade supplier to brands (MDD), who made last year 750 million euros of turnover. We have there an approach to French fashion products. In three years, we increased our sales by 30%. "If Cémoi not realize yet that 35% of its turnover abroad, it counts including the United States to accelerate.

Focus on Africa

The company, based in Perpignan, which is 900 million euros in turnover by 2015, will open next month an office in New York. He intends to take advantage of the recent development of MDD in the chocolate sector and leverage its brand. There, Cémoi – which adjusts its revenues in each country – relies on its truffles, which are a little Eiffel Tower on their packages, and its dark chocolate ranges, a fast-growing segment on which there is still little Deals in North America payday loans. For now, we deliver from our ten factories located in France, "says CEO, grand-son of the founder, who does not rule out making acquisitions in the United States.  

Other fast-growing region for three years, the Eastern Europe (35%), which represents nearly 10% of total production. "The increase in living standards, particularly in Poland, where we have a factory of industrial products, driving growth," said Patrick Poirrier.

In emerging markets, Cémoi prefers to pass his turn now in Asia, having suffered a failure in China in the 1990s. Instead, it set course for sub-Saharan Africa, where he bet on population growth and economic take-off, and its historical presence in Côte d'Ivoire through a processing plant. "We're going to floor on small packaging and on basic products such as chocolate spread," said Patrick Poirrier.

Finally, while the cocoa supply will become critical to the future (it will take one million tonnes in the next decade), Cémoi strengthens its role on the upstream. For two years he sells beans to other chocolatiers, tired of going through middlemen or traders. A new market for Cémoi, which now boasts its presence in the entire chain.

17 billion euros in investments, 164,000 jobs directly and 97,000 indirectly. Which to house the mammoth project? Madrid against Barcelona: the contenders are the most powerful cities of Spain … and two eternal rivals, in politics as on the football field.

A funny clásico, fanned by a singular trophy: the U.S. company Las Vegas Sands wants to establish in Spain's largest casino complex on the Old Continent. "Eurovegas" must be the European version of the world capital of the game Six casinos, 36,000 hotel rooms, three golf courses, a 15,000-seat auditorium

.

The figures, astronomical, are salivating entrepreneurs and politicians, while the country is mired in negative growth and an unemployment rate near 23%. The real estate engine "miracle" Spanish is down. Regions and municipalities in crisis seek relays create jobs and tax revenue.

In desperation, local politicians are suitable for all investors games. Left to take a project still vague for a real growth driver. Leaves to forget that five years ago, a similar idea had generated the same enthusiasm in Aragon, before developers do not suddenly reverse.

Barcelona or Madrid? Sheldon Adelson, owner of Las Vegas Sands, hesitates. After a year of study and 7.6 million euros spent, however, the decision must fall rapidly before the summer, the billionaire promises.

Rebates and exemptions

His communications director, Ron Reese, said the two cities "are tied." The project, said Reese, who will go to that show the more "flexible". The list of requirements is long Adelson as a letter to Santa. His company is seeking exemptions from social contributions and tax rebates. She wants the standards against money laundering to be relaxed to facilitate, she said, remittances players. Besides other applications wackiest, like creating a MBA in the gaming industry, or the lifting of the ban on smoking in rooms.

These requirements seem exorbitant to upset any politician. In Barcelona, ​​we recall that the project needs to attract 11 million visitors. "Quality tourism" believes the President of Catalonia, Artur Mas.

In Madrid, the figure of 260,000 jobs dizzy: it represents half the number of unemployed in the region. The president of the autonomous government, Esperanza Aguirre, has promised to make "all necessary legal modifications, as they do not violate [its] principles."

Demonstration in Madrid

Thousands of people rallied Sunday in the streets of Madrid to the appeal of unions, against labor reform implemented by the government the right to fight against unemployment, the mobilization test before a general strike scheduled for March 29.

The two main Spanish unions, UGT and CCOO, have called for demonstrations in 60 cities in Spain, to protest a reform they deem "unfair and ineffective" and "defense of public services".

Carrying red flags and placards with the words "no budget cuts", "No to social regression", shouting "we will not pay their debts with health and education", thousands of protesters stormed the center Madrid. 

The Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy adopted on February 11 for further reform of labor market flexibility, including lower redundancy payments and measures to stimulate youth employment.

China's growth confirms its moderation. All indicators earlier this year indicate a general slowdown given the Chinese engine. This weekend, China Customs have announced for the February trade deficit of $ 31.5 billion. The most since 1989, according to figures from Bloomberg.

China's demand for foreign goods, raw materials whose economy is greedy, in particular, continued to grow, while the two main trade partners of Beijing, the European Union and the United States, slowing their orders in a difficult economic environment on both sides of the Atlantic. Exports then rose only 6.9% on the first two months of the year, year on year, against 13.4% in December, while imports grew by 7.7% at the same time, against 11 , 8% in December.

China's trade balance continues to play a little yo-yo earlier this year, with the effect of Chinese New Year festivities, which saw disengage almost all plants of the country. But last week, Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming announced already that keep foreign trade growth to 10% as in the past would ask "hard efforts".

Inflation sharply down

For it is all Chinese machine out of steam. By last weekend, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that industrial production grew by 11.4% over January and February, its lowest level in two and a half years, and retail sales of 14.7 %.

Inflation has never been so low in twenty months. The index of consumer prices rose only 3.2% over one year against 5.4% for the whole of 2011. A figure lower than expected, but also below the target the government set itself for 2012 to 4%. This price moderation should breathe a sigh of relief to more than a senior party. She had become, last year, a major concern of the central government, fearing that it would nourish the social scolds. Reassured, the Chinese leaders could now ease off on their monetary policy and the exchange rate of the yuan.

But the pause early this year by China's growth is primarily seasonal, with the parenthesis Chinese New Year, the central government may wish to wait for confirmation of this curbing of its economy before flowing again . The specter of inflation, which can leave at any moment, has not deserted the minds of Beijing.

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