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LE FIGARO – You met President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday. What is your analysis of the crisis in the euro area?

Pedro Passos Coelho – Our views are converging. We must accelerate the process of ratifying the plan in July that the EU speaks with one voice. It is essential to avoid systemic risk. How to convince the markets where European leaders expressed doubts on the future of Europe! It must be absolutely avoided, it is better to be silent than to sow doubt.

Would it be better to organize the failure of Greece?

I refuse to make predictions, I'd rather be patient and hope that Athens takes its objectives and carry out sustainable reforms. If Greece dark, the entire EU to be at risk.We need to help Greece and at the same time strengthen the EU, to establish a more integrated economic government which deals with taxation.

What are the consequences in Portugal of the deepening crisis in Greece?

Portugal is in a vulnerable position vis-à-vis Greece. If the crisis worsens, it will make our recovery process more difficult. My vision is very pragmatic: we must make every effort to carry out reforms and fiscal consolidation.

Economists doubt your ability to meet commitments on fiscal 2011?

The aid package was negotiated before the elections. Since then we have taken additional steps preventive and our calendar of spending cuts is more ambitious. We have the political support for it.We will keep the target of 5.9% of GDP deficit in 2011 and are targeting a primary surplus (excluding debt service) in 2012 for a balanced budget in 2015 and an external account deficit by half a point against 9% last year. In addition to the expenditure side and the privatization plan, we will conduct several structural reforms, justice, labor market, too rigid regulation. We will create a board of public finances, which will be independent to ensure full transparency in the management of the state.

Where are you from privatization?

We are to remove the golden shares held by the state in public enterprises, then we will begin the process of privatization in the energy sector by mid-November, by selling the companies for electricity, gas and oil, which Galp.We will then proceed to the privatization of the airline TAP, the airport manager Ana, mail, freight rail and radio station public television RTP. The whole process should be finalized in late 2012, the objective to recover at least 7 billion euros.

Have you received expressions of investors?

Yes, many, from the European economies but also emerging countries, Brazil, China and several Arab countries bad credit unsecured personal loans.The president of the National Bank of Economic Development in Brazil (BNDSE), the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, Lula and his predecessor have already come to us with investor interest in Brazil.

This interest is there also for the government debt?

The purchase of public debt is subject to specific rules, but the important thing is that there were demonstrations of confidence in this government about the quality of Portuguese debt.

Will you create a wealth tax, such as Spain prepares to do?

We refused this solution, not to discourage large fortunes to come and settle in Portugal. However, we have created a special tax of solidarity that will help tackle the portion of 2.5% marginal tax on income that will affect higher wages and will last two years.We also created an additional tax of 3% on business profits in excess of 1.5 million euros, also for two years. The purpose of these taxes is not to create an additional revenue but to allow us to finance social assistance measures for families hit hardest by the crisis.

What are these measures?

They are primarily related to housing. Households that can no longer repay their debts to buy their apartments can contact their bank for the loan to be converted into low-rent, which will relieve the financially while allowing them to remain at home. Similarly, those earning up to one and a half times the minimum wage benefit from using public transport.In addition, if we were forced to raise to 23% VAT on gas and electricity, we have created a social tariff for the poorest.

How to boost growth given that domestic demand will remain very low?

It is true that the austerity has a recessive effect. The middle class will suffer significant sacrifices. That's the ticket out of the crisis, the price of a country that has spent too long. Domestic demand will have a negative contribution to the end of 2012. This will be offset by exports that are doing well. The adjustment must be done very quickly to ensure the financing of the economy. Privatization are important to increase the availability of cash to help recapitalize banks. This will improve competitiveness, greater openness and internationalization of our economy.The State abound 12 billion euros in guarantees for banks.

Competitiveness remains the weak point of Portugal?

Hence the urgent need to launch structural reforms, which should have been done in conjunction with the entry into the EU. The country in several sectors – textiles, information technology, biotechnology … the high performers.

Angela Merkel and her government are holding their breath. Renowned for its warmth towards Europe, the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe invite this week in the feverish debate on the rescue of the euro. The judges will vote Wednesday on the constitutional legality of financial aid given to Greece in May 2010. Their decision could affect the vote of German MPs, who must decide on Sept. 29 in the Bundestag on extending the powers of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF).

Already facing a rebellion of the members of his conservative party (CDU), the German Chancellor has been careful to separate into two parts the vote on aid to Greece and that concerning the adoption of the future European Stability Mechanism (SPM) .More than two dozen elected officials of the CDU threatened not to ratify the decisions taken at the European Council of 21 July, fearing that Berlin does not transfer too much power to Brussels. MPs are reluctant to help Greece, which they consider a "bottomless pit" and feel that their powers in budgetary matters were trampled. The Chancellery is concerned that the decision of the judges in Karlsruhe will come inflame the debate.

Growing skepticism

Largest economy in the euro zone, Germany is also the primary funder and many elected officials in Berlin believe that they should as such have much more say in the rescue plans in the area that other countries. If the Court in Karlsruhe decided to grant German MPs a say too much in the allocation of European aid, the mechanism could find them paralyzed.German lawmakers already ensure tooth and nail over the interests of their taxpayers from a decision of the Court of Karlsruhe, dating from 2009, in which the judges had distanced themselves from the Lisbon Treaty. The Court could also decide to set limits on the allocation of aid to countries in difficulty due to the entry into force in 2012 of the brake mechanism to the debt, the golden rule in Germany. For this aid could lead to cuts in the budgets of the Federal Republic.

Across the Rhine, the distrust of the single currency is growing. A survey of the institute Allensbach with German parliamentarians center-right shows that 76% of them have little or no confidence in the euro, against 71% in a similar poll two months ago.This was reinforced by the departure of Athens, Friday, representatives of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund have given ten days to the Greek government to advance structural reforms in the country . The parties of the center-right coalition in power have multiplied over the weekend their warnings to Greece, ordered to implement as soon as his promises of reform in return for aid to balance its budget.

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François Fillon on Monday took a trip to the nuclear power plant of Bugey in Ain – one of the oldest park of EDF, one of the reactors suffered its general review of thirty years – to reiterate the government's argument in favor of nuclear energy. Being understood, said the Prime Minister, that "safety is the top priority." The end of a busy year on the last record. Six months after the disaster of Fukushima, Japan, EDF must provide a copy within two weeks of testing the resistance of French power stations.

ASN will then evaluate, by December, the information on the resistance of plants to earthquakes and extreme flooding.Asked about the failure to take into account the risk of terrorism in these tests, François Fillon acknowledged that the current plants – unlike the EPR reactor being built in Flamanville – would not survive the fall of a "jumbo" in the case of an attack like September 11, 2001 but that there are "other means than concrete" to counter an air attack, referring to anti-aircraft missile batteries and fighter on permanent alert. The prime minister also responded to a question about the resistance of the Flamanville earthquakes, following the information published in Le Canard chains."No need to read Le Canard chains, he said, all information is on the website of the Nuclear Safety Authority" (ASN) has called, playing the role of "sting", a better resistance of building control fast payday loan.

Besson favor of "stress tests"

The Prime Minister also called for the establishment of international safety standards. A goal that will not be met "for years" according to Andre-Claude Lacoste, President of the ASN, because of the hostility of countries like China, India and the United States. Eric Besson, Minister of Industry, will defend to the IAEA in Vienna, September 19, the idea to conduct stress tests in all nuclear countries. Pending the possible orders of the nuclear policeman at the end of the year, EDF provides better security of its power at all times.Example, during the four months off during the revision of the number 5 reactor Bugey, pre-authorization for an extension of ten years, 25 million euros is being invested to enhance its resistance to earthquakes.

Security has its price. Henri Proglio, the chairman of EDF, has also invoked July 29 to assert that it would be "natural" that the price at which EDF has to sell part of its current competitors (price Arenh) increases until to 46 euros per megawatt hour, while the authorities have set at 42 euros on 1 January 2012.

Responding to the BBC on this, François Fillon said "common sense" the current level of Arenh but added that more security funding for renewable energy made inevitable the rise in electricity prices. In government, he added, to control it as much as possible.

It's a 180 degree turn qu'Hewlett-Packard took yesterday. The Californian giant, the world's PCs, has announced plans to dispose of its business in personal computers. Another major surprise: HP goes out of business in the mobile, arresting the development of tablets and smartphones. In parallel, to better exploit the potential of higher growth in services, HP will acquire the software company Autonomy to 10.24 billion dollars.

The abandonment of the PC by Hewlett-Packard's board of directors' authorized the exploration of alternative strategies "that," among others ", a" total or partial separation "- is a radical industrial decision. The activity is roughly one third of the turnover of the firm in Palo Alto. It is explained by lower margins in this highly competitive sector where brands, with the exception of Apple, are struggling to differentiate themselves.

Moreover, weakening demand for PCs as a result of a share of the slowdown in global growth, but also on the other hand the growing popularity of digital tablets, which Apple is the great leader with his iPad. This transformation of the market place Apple in number one position in all product categories combined, at HP, according to the firm DisplaySearch.

However, HP had paid $ 1.2 billion for the maker of smartphones and Palm OS webOS valuable in April 2010. The blow-off of the shelves – including the TouchPad launched just weeks ago – and smartphones therefore comes as a major surprise.

Strategy reminiscent of IBM

Under pressure from shareholders, Leo Apotheker as head of HP for a year, engaged in a strategy reminiscent of the late IBM.The computer giant, inventor of the PC in 1981, sold the business to China's Lenovo in 2005. IBM then accumulated losses in this sector despite its efforts to concentrate on high-end machines. The new head of HP Germany, itself from a software company, SAP, sees the future and therefore the best margins in the IT services. His decision is also bad news for firms like Microsoft and Intel, whose sales still depend largely on the health of the personal computers.

HP yesterday announced disappointing results for the third quarter of its fiscal year with sales up 1.6% and a profit of 9% in progress.

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The speech Barack Obama optimistic about economic prospects was not enough to lighten the mood in the U.S. markets. In the aftermath of a black session, Wall Street closed Friday on a very hesitant, after playing roller coaster the entire session. The Dow Jones gained 0.54% to 11,444.61 points but the S & P lost 0.06% to 1199.39 points and the Nasdaq drops 0.94% to 2532.41 points.

The fence marks the end of the worst weekly meeting signed by the S & P 500 over two years. For the week, the Dow has sold 5.8%, the S & P 500 -7.2% -8.1% and the Nasdaq. Obama does not reassure

The announcement of a significant improvement in job creation last month has not calmed the spirits. Publications disappointing state of the U.S. economy had yet chained, challenging the idea of ​​resumption of the first global economy.This publication confirms the figures released Wednesday by ADP, reports of more new jobs than expected for the month of July.

U.S. markets also hesitant despite market rumors to the effect that the European Central Bank is ready to support the Italian and Spanish bonds, if these countries to undergo structural reforms.

Moreover, operators have learned that Americans use to consumer credit rose in June at a pace not seen since the recession began, according to figures released Friday by the central bank (Fed) of the United States.The outstanding amount of these loans has jumped on this month of 7.7% annual rate over the previous month, the biggest increase since August 2007, reaching 2,446.1 billion.

Oil pulls himself together

After a slight increase at the opening, oil prices find their way back down to 18 hours, Paris time. After working in the Russian mountains on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in September was finally completed in 86.88 dollars, up 25 cents from the previous day

The reassuring news, from Europe have traced the course of the euro by 1.25%. The euro traded at $ 1.43 against the greenback to 19 pm Paris time.

AIG, GM and Procter & Gamble publish their accounts

On the corporate side, the semi-annual publications still dominate the news on Friday.

For the second straight session, the group Kraft (3.21% to 34.87 dollars), which has split its U.S. branch of its activities snacking, remain top of the list of the stock market.

Thursday evening after market, the insurer AIG (-4.96% to 25.09 dollars) announced a return to the green of its accounts in the second quarter, with net earnings of $ 1.84 billion over the period, against a loss of $ 2.7 billion a year earlier. Per share, net income totaled $ 1 ($ 0.69 after tax, against $ 0.92 expected by analysts).

At the same time, and its first quarterly since its IPO on May 19, LinkedIn (-4.85% to 90.89 dollars) was positively surprised markets by announcing a turnover more than doubled the second quarter to 121 million dollars (120 euros) and net profit (4.5 million), where analysts expected a loss.

General Motors (GM) (1.23% to 26.31 dollars) Thursday reported quarterly results exceeded expectations, with a near doubling of profits over the period.

Procter & Gamble (1.71% to 60.60 dollars) released before market on Friday for the fourth quarter of fiscal offset, net income up 15% to $ 2.51 billion.Of 2010-2011, so it shows a net profit of 11.79 Annual Statement billion, down 7% from the previous year.

Viacom (0.97% to 51.85 dollars), the parent company of MTV and Comedy Central, has reported a rise than expected in earnings thanks to strong revenue growth in advertising Cable and license agreements with websites. Its quarterly results (Q3) increased to $ 574 million against 432 million

Bank of America (-7.76% to 8.15 dollars) is highly exposed to the most fragile countries in the euro zone, according to a document from the bank. The group said exposure to the tune of $ 16.7 billion (11.8 billion euros) in total to Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain in June 30Management has indicated in a document submitted to the regulatory authorities that its losses could reach up to legal $ 2.3 billion in addition to the provisions already passed for this purpose.

On the night of Sunday to Monday, an agreement was reached between Republicans and Democrats to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. A favorable outcome that immediately reassured the markets: when Barack Obama announced the compromise to 2:45 Paris time, Asian stock markets – open to this hour – surged after learning that the failure to pay the United States was avoided. The Nikkei in Tokyo rose 1.7% immediately before finishing up 1.34%. Later, in Europe, major indices also showed the green, like the Cac 40 in Paris, which opened up 1.35%, and the ragagnant 3700 points, the Footsie Londoner, who took 1.07 % and the Dax in Frankfurt (+1.5%).

Safe haven, gold subside sees the outbreak of the course, which showed great concern on the part of investors.The yellow metal, which was still worth almost 1630 dollars per ounce on Friday, and is around 1615 dollars fell on Monday.

Immediate response as the currency market, the dollar has suddenly taken against major world currencies, particularly against the yen (the dollar rose from 77.3 to 78 yen per hour), just after the announcement.

Reassured the markets for a while

But around noon on Monday, the dollar back down a little already, one euro was trading against 1.4437 dollars (0.23%). Same against the Swiss franc, another safe haven, which goes back to full speed again against the dollar and historical levels of force, to 0.78 Swiss francs to the dollar.

Thus, if the news is welcome, the markets are not won by the euphoria. They are waiting because the confirmation of the plan by a vote, or some Republicans have expressed strong opposition to the agreement.Already on the European stock markets, the increases are bunched together in mid-day. And on Wall Street indices predicted a future increase in the Dow Jones 1.3%. Not enough to make up for the fall of 4.4% registered in the past week.

Markets are also wary because the details of the agreement remain unclear. In addition, the debt ceiling would require a new vote in early 2013, after the presidential elections. Now remains to be seen how the rating agencies will react to reductions in planned expenditure, less important than they hoped. However, they have warned: even if the United States are not lacking, this would not prevent the AAA rating of the country may be degraded.In this case, markets may again sink into depression.

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The wiretapping scandal organized by the newspaper News of the World is experiencing a new twist. It seems that the phone Sara Payne, mother of an 8 year old girl abducted and murdered in July 2000 by a serial pedophile, has also been heard. The name of the mother appeared at least on the list of Detective Glenn Mulcair charged by the tabloid to listen to the voice mail of some of the 4000 victims alleged piracy of their phone line in the 2000s. It is not certain that the investigators were able to determine whether there had been an oversight and what could be nature.

What is certain, however, is that Sara Payne is not a single victim over. She had become very close to the weekly after the death of his daughter Sarah.As part of its combination of child protection, The Phoenix Chief Advocates, she collaborated with News of the World to obtain a review of British law on the pointing of sex offenders. The photo of her daughter and had served as part of a campaign known, conducted in cooperation with the Sunday newspaper, which has yielded the right of parents to be informed of the presence of pedophiles in their neighborhood. This legislation easing access to information on sex offenders has also been called "Sarah Law," a tribute to the girl.

"Sara Payne was a friend"

Sara Payne has been "devastated" by learning that she too may have been referred by his "friends" News of the World, said his association in a statement payday loan.The young woman feels betrayed, she was greeted in the latest issue of the tabloid, published in July, a newspaper that was not only a "force for good" but also an "old friend".

As editor of the press title between 2000 and 2003, Rebekah Brooks is at the heart of these new charges. "These allegations are particularly heinous and shocking in that Sara Payne is a very dear friend", has defended the former president of News International, the division of Murdoch manages the British titles. "The idea that anyone could log in that Sara and the team of the campaign was covered by Glenn Mulcair is unthinkable."

Rebekah Brooks has always denied any knowledge of the practices challenged in News of the World. A public inquiry into eavesdropping, conducted by an independent judge, was officially opened on Thursday in London.At the same time, it was learned Friday that James Murdoch, son of media magnate, was confirmed as head of the bunch UK BSkyB satellite channels. Severely shaken by tapping the case, the group Murdoch had yet been forced to withdraw in mid-July its offer to buy 61% stake in the company he does not already own.

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Pessimism still dominates the Paris Stock Exchange on Monday. After a week complex, marked by a loss of almost 5% for the CAC 40, investors do not find the moral. The CAC 40 lost 1.2% in mid-session and falls under the 3700 points to 3680.20 points. The gap even widened to 16 hours with a decline of 2% to 3652.77 points. Meanwhile, the London Stock Exchange lost 0.81% to 5796.60 points and the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was down 0.94% to 7152.30 points.

The Asian market has not sent a clear signal this morning. Only U.S. markets manage to stay the course despite the many warnings about agency debt. In this regard, President Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to Congress on increasing the debt ceiling while Republicans are sticking to their positions.In Europe, the problems of sovereign debt will also be at the heart of discussions of heads of state on Thursday at a special summit meant to calm markets.

Meanwhile, next currency, the euro fell slightly against the greenback at 1.4046 dollars against 1.4156 dollars on Friday night. Gold, meanwhile, took advantage of the nervousness of investors to assert its status as a safe haven: an ounce on Monday has risen to 1600.10 dollars, linking 11 consecutive sessions of gains. The most since July 1980.

In terms of indicators, the day will be particularly quiet with only the index of the real estate market in the United States waited for the afternoon.The rest of the week will be richer with, among others, the German ZEW index (Tuesday), the U.S. existing home sales (Wednesday), the weekly jobless across the Atlantic (Thursday) and the confidence index Business in France (Friday).

Oil markets, oil prices were without direction. A barrel of "light sweet crude" for August delivery lost 9 cents to 97.15 dollars while that of Brent North Sea crude for September delivery took 22 cents to 117.48 dollars.

Bank stocks led the largest declines

By sector, the entire banking sector unscrewed, after publication of the study undigested JPMorgan Cazenove, which assessed the need for additional capital of European institutions on the basis of more stringent capital adequacy ratio payday advance lender.According to JPMorgan, BNP Paribas (-2.64% to 44.08 euros), Societe Generale (-4.81% to 33.03 euros) and Credit Agricole (-2.31% to 8.28 euros) should raise 20 billion euros, one quarter of the amount to raise in Europe. This study follows the results of stress tests of the European Union that French banks have yet passed. In turn, AXA (-3.60% to 13.13 euros) and Natixis (-1.98% to 3.07 euros) drop sharply.

For beyond this study, a European project to create a tax on banks to help Greece is under consideration, according to Die Welt. It concerns all European banks, whether or not active in the Greek market.

France Telecom: -0.36% to 13.72 euros

The operator plans to launch a bid for the fourth mobile operator in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-China Telecom (CTC).The terms of any agreement, still being negotiated, would provide for the redemption of 51% of CTC held by the Chinese manufacturer ZTE telecom equipment, and 49% owned by the Congolese state.

ArcelorMittal: -1.15% to 22.40 euros

The group could respond to the study of the British consulting firm Meps specializes in the steel industry that China would underestimate production. Beijing would have produced 672 million tons of steel, half of the world, against 627 million tonnes officially announced.Meps suspects including small local mills continue to run ads despite the closure due to pollution problems and productivity.

Publicis: -1.13% to 36.86 euros

The group has obtained a syndicated multi-currency $ 1.2 billion.

Atari: -9.77% to 2.31 euros

The French publisher Atari video game released Monday sales down 36.1% to 9.2 million euros for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011/2012, he explained his shift to online games and mobile.

As for publications, Edenred deliver its sales in the first half after market. Guyenne et Gascogne announce its second quarter earnings as Audika.

The Alibaba China could become a major player in the field of operating systems for mobile phones just as Android, IOS, or WP7. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese e-commerce specialist, prepares to launch its own operating system (OS). But this new system has a particularity: it is based on the cloud, literally the "cloud computing". In other words, this new system will store the user data on remote servers. Such OS therefore requires a connection to broadband Internet in all circumstances.

This project should be launched in the third quarter of this year, said the American daily. Initially, the system should be accessible only to the Chinese market but "nothing says it will not be used elsewhere after," said a source familiar with the journal.

This launch marks another milestone for Alibaba, more used to make software and especially shopping sites online. Like him, more and more companies are trying to afford the lion's share in the growth market of smartphones. Another Chinese, Baidu, Google's competitor frontal China would launch its own OS for the Chinese market, based on the technology of Google Android. If these Chinese projects are completed, Apple, with its own system IOS, Microsoft Windows 7 Phone and Google, which has the Android operating system, could see their global market dominance eroded.

The gas is in talks to take over the assets of the U.S. company Duke Energy in Latin America, according to the Brazilian business newspaper Valor Economico.

Areva. The nuclear group should ally with the Spanish Iberdrola Renewables on two of the five areas of the tender for offshore wind launched by the state, according to Les Echos.

Ipsos. The British advertising group Aegis said to be in exclusive talks with the institute of studies and surveys for the sale of its subsidiary Synovate market research cheapest personal loan rates.

Havas. In an interview with Echo, the executive director of the group will develop two commercial microarray in the world, one around his BETC teaches French and the other around Arnold, a Boston-based agency

After the close of trading, EuropaCorp will release its results for the year 2010-2011.