Prime Minister Lucas Papademos called on Sunday for three party leaders Greek government to publicly commit to implement the reforms demanded by the country's creditors in return for a second help.
The three party leaders were summoned Greek government on Sunday by Lucas Papademos to overcome their objections to the new austerity measures demanded by creditors, even if they have so far resulted only exacerbate the recession of countries.
George Papandreou, Antonis Samaras and George Karatzaferis – respectively leaders of the Socialist party, New Democracy (right) and Laos (far right) represented in the Greek coalition government – arrived mid-afternoon Maximos the palace, where the offices of the Prime Minister.
The representatives of the troika of institutional creditors of the country (euro area, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) have previously met the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and the Minister of Labour. The Greek government has been negotiating for weeks on the establishment of a structural adjustment program of the country in exchange for a second loan of at least 130 billion euros, which would add to that 110 billion awarded in May 2010 the country to protect it from bankruptcy.
100 billion euros of debt
Negotiations described as "superhuman" Sunday by a senior government official, intended to prevent Greece a default in the month of March. An alternative trading-just as crucial-government with its private creditors to erase 100 billion euros of debt, depends on negotiating with creditors. Among the hard spots, rejected both by the Greek trade union leaders by most politicians, are the demands of the troika of generalized lowering labor costs.
"I come with the hope that I will not repeat what was said recently the former German Chancellor (Helmut) Schmidt," said George Karatzaferis to the press on arrival at the Prime Minister, after warning that it did not feel ready to bow to pressure from Berlin or "blackmail". In December, Helmut Schmidt had expressed concern about how other countries dealt Berlin and European partners in managing the debt crisis, when Germany imposes its solutions to its neighbors.
Saturday night, the Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said the negotiations "on the razor's edge" were to conclude Sunday evening that Greece avoided a default in March
Risk of bankruptcy in March
The leader of the Eurogroup, Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker, has also lobbied on Saturday night by evoking the risk of "bankruptcy" of Greece in March if the reforms demanded were not completed.
"If we were to find that everything goes awry in Greece, then there would be no new program" refinancing of the country, said the head of government of Luxembourg. "This would mean bankruptcy in March," he added. "Greece must know that we will not back down on the issue of privatization," he said, regretting that there is no other "elements of corruption at all levels of government" Greek.
The opponents argue that wage cuts will exacerbate the recession in Greece, where the economy is stifled by a recession that puts on airs of depression, with GDP expected to fall by around 6% in 2011 after two years of austerity.
According to a government study released last week, the unit labor costs in Greece has already fallen by 14.3% between the first quarter 2010 and third quarter 2011.
But according to the head of IMF mission in Greece Poul Thomsen, measures of wage compression in the private sector will boost the economy through a gain in competitiveness. Paul Thomsen has advocated such a reduction in the minimum wage, a red rag to the unions, saying only 751 euros gross per month was 35% higher than in Portugal, and 20% in Spain.
The rapid increase of the debt crisis in the euro area threatens the credit ratings of all European states, warned Sunday the U.S. rating agency Moody's. Moody's in New York.
In a "special comment" on European countries published Sunday, Moody's says it still considers that the euro area will maintain its unity without any fault as that of Greece, but notes that even this' scenario 'positive' carries consequences very negative for the notes "of European countries. The U.S. rating agency, recently warned that France could lose its "triple A" allowing it to borrow at favorable rates in the markets, and clearly indicates that no country, even among those considered most solids, such as the Netherlands, Austria, Finland or Germany, is immune to a lowering of note.
Given the events of recent weeks, Moody's said have to consider "the likelihood of a scenario even more negative." She said "the probability of multiple failures (…) States in the euro area is no longer negligible" and continues to grow in the absence of solution to the crisis. If this probability were to materialize, it would increase the likelihood that one or more countries leave the euro area, the agency said, for whom this scenario of a "fragmentation of the euro" would have "negative repercussions for all countries the euro area and EU. " For Moody's, the situation is constantly evolving, and new "shocks" (new rescue or rising interest rates which states borrow) while policy makers define new measures are "likely to lead to changes of note in case by case "for some countries.
Suzuki Motor reported Monday a 6.2% increase in quarterly operating profit despite the impact on its sales of social movements in India, the first Japanese car market, which has maintained its forecast for the entire the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
The group's operating income for the period July-September second quarter of this year stood at 39.2 billion yen (365 million euros), while analysts had on average expected 25.6 billion yen.
Net income for Suzuki, owned 19.9% by Volkswagen as part of a partnership that turned sour, fell 13% to 13.3 billion yen while revenue declined by 6 , 6% to 618.8 billion.
Heineken, the world's third largest brewer, reported Wednesday a surprise increase in the volume of beer sold and its sales in the third quarter, supported by the strength of African markets and a rebound in sales in Russia.
Revenues rose 0.6% to 4.65 billion euros against 4.51 billion euros expected on average by eight brokers polled by Reuters.
In August, the brewer warned that weak consumer confidence, combined with a sluggish summer, would affect earnings growth this year.He also maintained its forecast for net profit before exceptional items for 2011, saying it would be roughly consistent with the previous year.
In the third quarter, net income amounted to 525 million euros, an amount virtually unchanged from last year.
The title gained 1.24% to 0800 GMT, having reached in early trade a high of two months with an increase of 4.1%.
European leaders are putting added pressure on banks to force them to recapitalize and enable them to withstand greater losses than expected on the sovereign debt of the most fragile countries in the euro area.
While being held in Paris the meeting of G20 Finance Friday and Saturday, the market hopes to see political leaders overcome their differences to meet a debt crisis that threatens the stability of the euro area and the strength of the European banking system.
"For now, investors give them the benefit of the doubt," said Patrick Moonen, strategist at ING Investment Management, in a note entitled "Good luck to political leaders."
Pending the outcome of the meeting of finance ministers and central bankers of the G20, the surveillance by Fitch notes several banks – including Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank or Societe Generale – show the difficulties faced by banks today.Difficulties that have driven the last weekend the French-Belgian Dexia decommissioning.
In exchange, the banks Friday was the only sector to finish down in Europe (-0.59%).
The President of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker reiterated Friday that several European banks needed to be recapitalized.
The crucial step remains the European Council of 23 October at which Germany and France will unveil their proposals for overcoming the crisis. Both countries said they already sealed their agreements without specifying its content.
"We have never been so close to a solution (to the debt crisis, Ed). But this is not done," warns David Thebault, head of quantitative trading at Global Equities."There is concern that the market takes it badly if there is no announcement of precise and detailed plan on October 23 and November 3 (G20 Cannes, Ed).I remain cautious. "
The Franco-German proposals will include a bank recapitalization and strengthening the response capacity of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF).
SIX MONTHS to recapitalize
In preparation for the European Council, the European Banking Authority (EBA) provides a new set of stress tests of the banking sector.
Stricter than the previous year this time should include a valuation of sovereign debt, particularly that of Greece, at market value, and the EBA should require banks a minimum capital ratio "hard" ("core tier one") of 9% and not only by 7%.
According to European sources, the weakest banks will then have six months to build up their capital.
"The only real justification for recapitalization would be to reassure the markets," said Laurent Quignon, head of economics at BNP Paribas bank.
"But in terms of economic fundamentals, there is no more reason than all the banks are recapitalized today than yesterday."
According to Goldman Sachs, at least 50 out of 91 European banks could fail the new stress tests, indicating a need for 139 billion euros in fresh capital.
The terms of a bank recapitalization on the Old Continent will be the subject of intense negotiations from Monday, said President of the Eurogroup.
"LESS DIVIDENDS, BONUS UNDER"
The French government has already said that the State was ready to help banks, but for now it emphasizes the strengthening of capital by private capital, unlike what was done in 2008 and 2009 under the plan to help French banks after the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
"Banks will have to recapitalize on the basis of their results by distributing less dividends and less bonus," said Friday morning the Minister of Economy Baroin, Europe 1.
"If they can not, they will do in the markets.If markets are not sufficient, they will find partners and, ultimately limit, there will be an opportunity for European coordination. "
"For France, I want to say that I am confident in the ability of our banks to raise their profits and all means at their disposal to strengthen their capital base," added the Prime Minister Francois Fillon, in the afternoon during the parliamentary days of the UMP.
In line with the German position, France has already ruled out recourse to EFSF to recapitalize its banks.
"Policies must resolve the dilemma between the private shareholders of banks that do not want to hear about dilution and the market which requires recapitalization," said Christophe Nijdam, an analyst at AlphaValue.
"The calls for recapitalization by the European authorities can be cons-productive to the extent that they contribute to fuel concern for all banks," warns Laurent Quignon, at BNP Paribas. "What can paradoxically make raising capital more difficult for institutions that need it."
Deutsche Bank, which would need to raise 9 billion euros according to sources, has made it clear that it would avoid any forced recapitalization.
Air Liquide finds no significant decrease in demand of its customers and believes that the market environment for the group was relatively normal, except for some adjustments in the electronics, said Tuesday its CEO Benoît Potier.
"We do not see a significant drop in consumption by our customers.At this point we can say that the economy remains strong for Air Liquide, "said the boss of the world's largest industrial gases reporters.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the presentation of tests of electric vehicles to hydrogen at the Circuit de Marcoussis (Essonne).
"The environment was relatively normal, so the consumption of our customers large and small ways consistent with what we had until now," said Benoît Potier, whose group has clients in sectors as diverse as Health, refining and steel.
Air Liquide was confirmed in early August target steady growth in net profit in 2011 "in a normal environment."
Asked if he confirmed the group's objectives in 2011, Benoît Potier declined to comment, a few weeks before the publication of revenue for the third quarter scheduled Oct. 26.
The strategic plan "Alma 2015", introduced in December 2010, is an average annual growth of 8% to 10% of sales – compared to 9.2% as reported in the first half of 2011 – and a sustained increase of Net income in the past five years.
The share was down 1.18% to 85.66 euros by 24:50, outperforming the market, down 2.7%.
The new austerity measures agreed on Sunday will not allow Greece to limit the budget deficit to 7.4% of GDP in 2011 as it had promised. Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos and the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in Parliament during the vote of a new austerity plan, June 30, 2011.
Greece confirmed Sunday that it would not achieve the objective of reducing the public deficit set in June 2011, but recovered over the bar skid found its creditors in September, after the introduction of new measures austerity.
The draft budget for 2012 containing new objectives, to be tabled in parliament on Monday passed Sunday night during a special cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister George Papandreou, in which was set the difficult reduction plan public as required by international creditors Greece.According to the draft budget, in 2011, the deficit of Greece will be reduced to 8.5% of GDP against 10.5% in 2010. The deficit remains above the target of 7.4% of GDP set in the initial multi-year legislation passed in June, but it is significantly better than the projection made in early September by the troika of creditors which stood then at Athens around 9.5% of GDP, according to the press.
This exceeded the deficit target in 2011 means that Greece will need two billion more if only to fund its spending this year.It also means that tax increases and wage cuts announced over the last two months by the Papandreou government have failed to redress the country's finances.
Growth forecasts for the budget adopted in 2012 point to a contraction of 5.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) this year and 2.0-2.5% next year. These figures are the latest IMF projections, but are much more pessimistic than the projections used to calculate the bailout plan of 109 billion euros on July 21, anticipating a growth of 0.6% in 2012.
The copy of the Greek government and its financial projections will be examined Monday by the finance ministers of the Eurogroup and Luxembourg on Tuesday to those of the European Union, which must decide whether or not pay the next tranche of 8 billion, vital to the troubled country.By the end of August, the government warned it would not take its goal of reducing the deficit mainly because of the worsening recession. Officials of the troika (EU-IMF-ECB) to inspect the country's public finances and fiscal consolidation had left Athens when requesting the introduction of new corrective action to reduce costs and increase revenue.
"The additional austerity measures announced for 2011 and 2012 equivalent to 6.6 billion euros," said the Ministry of Finance said in a statement Sunday. Among them are the introduction of a new tax on real estate levied on electricity bills, lower pensions in excess of 1,200 euros per month, lowering the threshold for income tax to 5,000 euros annually. VAT on food increased from 13 to 23% in September.
The main difficulty concerns the lay-off of some 30,000 public sector employees by creating a "reserve labor force" where they will be affected for a year with salaries reduced to 60% of their basic pay . After one year some will be laid off. The choice will be based on criteria of age, persons over 60 years to be entered automatically in the program. The mechanism of labor reserves in its final version is the most "painless socially speaking" it was possible to adopt, said government spokesman Elias Mossialos in a statement.
In 2012, the Greek government expects a further reduction of public deficits, by setting a target of 6.8% of GDP instead of 6.5% forecast in June, 14.65 billion euros.And Greece should reach next year for the first time a primary surplus of 3.2 billion euros of public finances, excluding debt service.
According to the newspaper Kathimerini, the Troika mission, which returned to Athens on Thursday after an absence of nearly a month, could continue until Friday, October 7. The German finance minister warned last week that no final decision would be taken on the payment or not the next aid installment loan of 110 billion made in May 2010 in Greece, before 13 October .
Global stock markets have tumbled again Monday, frightened by the event of bankruptcy of Greece. Paris dropped more than 4%, ending at its lowest level since April 2009. French banks have lost more than 10% of their value. The trading floor in Frankfurt
Global stock markets tumbled again Monday, maddened by the assumption of more and more openly discussed a bankruptcy of Greece despite the soothing statements from European officials.
"The events taking place in Europe affect a growing market with a flurry of distressing information," noted Patrick O'Hare, Financial Analysis Site Briefing. "The markets anticipate scenarios very dark and do not want to remember that the darkest assumptions," added Yves Marc, Global Equities."We remain in a market in flux guided by fear," added Franklin Pichard, Director Barclays stock.
All European stock markets ended the day deep in red, Paris, Milan and Madrid, ending even the lowest for two and a half years. Briefly falling over 5% in early afternoon in Paris because of particular concerns for French banks, under threat of a deterioration in their rating by the rating agency Moody's.
European shares, which had already been a Black Friday, continued to plunge. In closing, Paris was unscrewed from 4.03% to 3.89% Milan, Madrid from 3.41%. Frankfurt yielded 2.27% and 1.63% in London. In Asia, Tokyo ended down 2.31% and 4.21% of Hong Kong.
Wall Street resisted in the middle of the session: to 16:00, the Dow Jones that yielded 0.75%.But the trend remained fragile and could accelerate the losses from one moment to another, stressed brokers.
The hypothesis of a failure of Greece, or even leaving the euro area, continues to gain ground and influence markets. "European officials are trying to take a more firm vis-à-vis Greece, in front of a ras-le-bol growing against the bailouts in Europe and North against austerity in the south "in the region, said Michael Hewson, an analyst at CMC Markets.
This weekend, the German Minister of Economy Philipp Rösler has not ruled out a bankruptcy ordered Greece to save the single currency before the department will remember come Monday that Athens had its place in the euro .
The Commission President José Manuel Barroso and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in turn tried to restore calm by ensuring, in a joint statement after a meeting in Berlin, the EFSF, in its strengthened would be operational by the end of the month.
The European Financial Stability Fund created last year, bringing relief to struggling countries, must in particular be allowed to buy government bonds on the secondary market. Athens, which is desperately trying to reassure its creditors, has pledged Sunday to take additional steps to save $ 2 billion in 2011.
The European Commission has welcomed the announcements and said that the donor countries meeting in a Troika-European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund-would return to the country "in the coming days." The atmosphere had deteriorated markedly since the unexpected departure of the country of a Troika mission in early September.
Bank stocks, especially in France, have been particularly turbulent Monday, weighed down by their exposure to sovereign debt and fears about their solvency. BNP Paribas has unscrewed from 12.35%, 10.64% of Crédit Agricole and Societe Generale of 10.75%.
"Whatever the scenario Greek and supplies to go, French banks have the means to cope," he tried to reassure the French Minister of Economy and Finance, Baroin, reiterating a message delivered in the morning by the governor of the Banque de France Christian Noyer.
"We are ready to provide liquidity to banks requested" to "unlimited" and "fixed" for the euro area, for his part reiterated the governor of the European Central Bank (ECB) Jean-Claude Trichet, in his as a spokesman for the group of major central banks.
The week promises to be crucial. Wednesday, an emergency meeting of the IMF to be held on Greece and the finance ministers of the euro area and European Union will meet Friday and Saturday in Poland to try to complete the second level of support Greece nearly 160 billion euros, promised the country July 21.
However, the markets seem to doubt the capacity of policy to agree and thus to regain control the crisis, especially after the G7 meeting on Friday and Saturday, which has resulted in "no action" according to an analyst.
Finance ministers and central bank governors of the seven richest countries in the world (G7) have simply promised Friday to Marseille to respond "strong" and "coordinated" to the crisis but without specifying their strategy.
Considered a value at risk in this context, the euro was heavily abused: Monday he touched its lowest level since mid-February against the dollar and 10 years against the yen.
On the debt market, the rates of German and U.S. bonds, safe havens, were at their historic low.Conversely, interest rates have soared Monday in a securities issuance of public debt in Italy.
Air France-KLM announced Wednesday an increase in passenger traffic of 7.6% in August, together with a load factor up 1.2 point to 85.7%.
The second European airline in terms of sales said in a statement it had carried 6.8 million passengers last month, with revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) excluding currency "slightly down" from August 2010.
Traffic recorded an increase of 10.7% in the Americas network and 9.0% on the Asia network, for load factors in respective increases of 1.3 points to 89.6% and 1.4 points to 89.4%.
The Caribbean and Indian Ocean network recorded a traffic increase of 10.0% with capacity up 7.1%, while Africa and the Middle East are still affected by political crises and have a stable traffic ( -0.1%) on capacity down 0.5%.
In freight, cargo traffic is also almost stable (-0.2%) with capacity up 2.8%, bringing a decline of 1.9 points in load factor to 62.5% while unit revenue per tonne kilometer (RATK) excluding currency is "up slightly".
Action Air France-KLM on Tuesday completed a course of 5.993 euros, showing a dip of 56% since the beginning of the year.
Toyota announced Friday the hiring of 800 employees on fixed-term contract on its site Onnaing (North) from January to respond to the success of the Yaris III, who is built.
The announcement was made at the plant Onnaing by Makoto Sano, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF).
Toyota will put in place from January 3rd a third shift of production to meet the specifications of orders for the Yaris III, stronger than expected in Italy and the countries of northern Europe.
Toyota will hire 800 employees with contracts of 18 months. Once recruitment is complete, the size of the Toyota plant to reach Onnaing 4300 employees, a record since it opened in 2001. Toyota Onnaing site is dedicated to the production of the Yaris.
