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LE FIGARO. – The Netherlands seems to suddenly become Eurosceptics. Why?

Luuk van Middelaar. – In reality, they have always been skeptical about some aspects of the European Union. The Netherlands were among the six founding countries, but their motivation was primarily economic, unlike France, which favored the political dimension. The Dutch have always fought for measures that represent an economic interest, such as the European patent. Then the country became a net contributor to EU budget around 2000, which is not conducive to enthusiasm! As for the current debate over the stability pact, we must not underestimate the impact of the crisis of 2003, when Paris and Berlin have violated common rules: it has reinforced the inferiority syndrome of small countries.

Failure in the referendum on the constitution has he not been exceeded?

France and the Netherlands voted no, but for very different reasons. The French were especially opposed to Europe "neoliberal" characterized by the Bolkestein directive on services, named after the Dutch commissioner … In the Netherlands, by contrast, we did not want an "other" Europe, but "less" Europe, if at all! The Dutch were not opposed to a political Europe.

The debate on the return to national currencies is more violent than elsewhere in the Netherlands. Why?

In the Netherlands, the euro has always inspired mistrust. These fears are now confirmed by the mismanagement of other member countries. Dutch MPs debated the creation of two variants of the euro, the "neuro" for the North and the "Zeuro" for the South. But this debate has remained economically, while the euro has a geopolitical origin: it is a concession of the Germans at the time of reunification.

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

"There is no market in the world where one can say that our expansion is complete." Signed Thomas Lourenco, owner of H & M France, this assertion could be pronounced with the same assurance by his peers Zara, Gap and Uniqlo. From New York to Shanghai through Roanne and Cape Town, the four largest clothing retailers in the world are opening every year by hundreds of shops.

Spanish Zara, Swedish H & M, Gap and American Japanese Uniqlo are all facing the same problem: on their home market, the sales growth slows, when it is not negative. "Diversifying internationally is an emergency, insists Luca Solca, head of research at CA Cheuvreux Europe. The economic slowdown, particularly in southern Europe, is likely to be higher than expected. "

Zara and H & M are still dependent on Europe for more than half of their sales, while Gap focuses 68% of its activity in the United States. Last year, the benefits of Fast Retailing, Uniqlo's parent company, they have been sealed by its poor profitability in Japan, where the brand 80% of its sales. The Japanese group has up its sales targets for this year, but its growth (14% to EUR 9 billion) will come mainly from abroad.

Uniqlo and its three main competitors have no choice but to accelerate in emerging markets, starting with the most promising, China. In 2011, Inditex (Zara's parent company) has opened 156 stores and is 400 by the end of the year. Decided to carry more than half its sales outside Japan within four years, Fast Retailing plans to open 100 stores in Asia this year, including 80 in China, before doubling the pace in 2013. The Japanese want to pass Zara and H & M in China, where Gap has to spend 15 to 45 stores this year.

Adaptation of forms and colors of clothing

The four giant jacked and on other emerging markets. H & M has just opened in Mexico, Thailand, Latvia. Swedish now eyeing South Africa, where Zara plans to open in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The Spanish also investing Australia, Taiwan and Peru. The Gap American ventures in South America, via Chile.

Uniqlo also hunt on the land of origin of its rivals. After all, Europe is still, by value, the first in the world market for clothing. The Japanese also sees the potential in the United States. After opening two "flagships" in New York, he announced a first store in San Francisco, and an innovation center and offices to handle logistics and human resources. It plans to open hundreds of stores in the United States, seeing a market of $ 10 billion by 2020. H & M, which opened 200 stores in the U.S. since 2000, and Zara, which has 47, can not take the risk that the Japanese enjoy one of the disappointments of Gap in the U pay day loans.S..

Neither group can not abandon its traditional market, the risk of yielding market share. Zara and H & M and continue their offensive in France. The Spaniard will land in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) after the summer; Swedish invests him with smaller cities like Roanne (Loire).

This conquest accelerated on every continent requires the giants of fashion to reshape their strategy and working methods. Paradoxically, refining collections is relatively simple. They remain in effect to 80% common to all countries. Zara added a size XXS for Japan, Gap smaller sizes in Shanghai, "where people are smaller," and other major Beijing … H & M has dedicated her clothes formatted in the UAE.

Brands also avoid sending too much green (color of the husband or wife cheated) and white (color of mourning) in Asia, and juggling the short or long sleeves at the option of climates. Lines of spring H & M are adorned with pastel colors, such as Uniqlo, yet partisan bright colors. Blades are apparently more seyants skinned fashionistas Chinese very well and flatter your tan Europeans. Globalization can sometimes synergies in the colors …

Higher prices by 30% in the Chinese market

For now, the Chinese conquest of clients has not changed the procurement strategies of the giants of fashion. They have responded to higher cotton and wages in China. H & M still produces most of its collections in Asia, but increasingly in Bangladesh. Uniqlo stocks up 80% in China, but part of its production is relocated to Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Zara, meanwhile, increased its production in Asia and will continue this strategy. But "we will always maintain at least 50% of our supplies in Europe," says a manager of Zara, whose production is mainly located in Spain, Morocco and Portugal. This asset can deliver within 24 hours of Europe, and in little more time in Asia, where customers are fond of European products.

Result of this procurement strategy, the giants of fashion practiced in China prices averaged 30% greater than those displayed in Europe, partly because of taxes and customs duties. So, high prices encourage Chinese purchasing power remains low, to consider Zara, H & M and Uniqlo brand as "premium". "This will force these retailers to improve their quality," says a consultant. Or, conversely, to harmonize their prices. "Especially since they are exposed to local competitors, the European-sounding names, such as Hong Kong's Giordano, much cheaper," says Anne-Laure LINGET, the Federation of knitwear and lingerie. In China, the war between Zara, H & M and Uniqlo may be more complicated than elsewhere.

Small revolution in the OJD, which is one step closer to seeing his measures of attendance on the Internet more recognized by the market. In its ranking of websites in March, the body that certifies the mailing of printed and digital press titles in France is hosting for the first time the orange.fr portal, one of the earliest in the hexagon with Google, Yahoo! and MSN.

Gateway to the telecom operator arrives directly at the head of the most popular sites last month, with over 450 million visits. The OJD measure all connections to the site (the "site-centric"), that is to say the number of visits and page views, without deduplicate visits on the same site by the same user. "We do not say in front of a screen but we certify the figures reported by the sites, which are the comprehensive measure of attendance," explained Stephane Bodier Bartement and Patrick, President and CEO of OJD. With the exception of Marianne, VOD or Humanity, all brand sites releases are already certified by the OJD.

Qualify hearings

The organization hopes that this will arrive in others, notably those of Yahoo! and MSN, which should seek, also, to certify their attendance. Google, which has developed its own measurement tool, Google Analytics, for its part could choose to stay out of the movement.

But there on the market another way of measuring the digital world personal business card. This is the tool with its Médiamétrie NetRatings ("user-centric") which, by observing a panel of 25,000 Internet users, to qualify (age, occupational status, etc..). The challenge now is to combine the best of both measures. Médiamétrie and OJD announced in early March signed an agreement for the supply by the second to the first of its basic results "site-centric." This merger of the two measures should allow the hearings to describe and measure, for example, the loyalty of Internet sites. It will materialize in June, with the publication of results by Médiamétrie Internet audience in April, via a hybrid measure that integrates both data and those of OJD, but also on the results of websites measured by Médiamétrie-eStat and certified by the OJD. "This agreement will help provide a market-based results more accurate and consistent," said Médiamétrie.

In the longer term, it will find tools to accompany the rise of advertising offers Web-coupled television. Médiamétrie talks with Google for the establishment of a study that would bring together data from television audience of those with Médiamat Internet.

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There are increases that hurt the wallet, and others are welcome. The April 1 announcement of more good news than bad.

• Pensions

Pensions of the general (civil servants and private employees) rose 2.1% from the 1st April. A decision expected. A few days ago the joint supplementary pension schemes AGIRC (executives) and Arrco (all employees) have also taken account of inflation higher than expected in 2011 and have upgraded the pensions of 2.3%.

In a joint statement the Ministers of Economy, Baroin, and Labour Xavier Bertrand pointed out that the pension increases took into account inflation in 2012 (1.8%, revised upwards) and inflation recorded in late 2011 (2.1%) a differential of 0.3%.

• Minimum age

The minimum age knows him, a stronger increase of 4.7% and is increased to 777.16 euros per month for a single person and 1,237 euros for a couple. The minimum pension which is paid to 400,000 pensioners the most modest, however, does not yet live above the poverty line which is 954 euros per month for a single person. The proportion of the population living below the poverty line is 13.5%. During the five year period the allowance will be increased by 25% as promised by Nicolas Sarkozy.

• Disabled adult allowance

The disabled adult allowance (AAH) passes almost 760 euros on April 1st, up 2.2%. Accordance with the promise of Nicolas Sarkozy to the upgrade of 25% for the duration of his five years, the AAH "and go to 759.98 euro 743.62 euro per month against current" and "a second revaluation of 2.19% , take place on 1 September, "said recently the Ministry of Solidarity. It would then amount to 776.59 euros per month, or 155.32 euros more than in 2007. The AAH was seen by 915,000 people in late 2010.

• Family benefits

Family benefits increased by 1% (including family allowances, grants for child care, the allowance for school …). Previously, family benefits were revalued on 1 January. But last year, the government had rejected the revaluation at 1 April, making 130 million euros in savings.

In addition, as part of austerity measures, it was decided that family benefits are not adjusted according to inflation but growth. The expected savings are 400 million euros for 2012 and 500 million for 2013. Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that this would be limited to one year.

• VAT on books

After construction and restaurants, it's time to see their books go this Sunday VAT by 5.5% to 7%. Increases announced in fall 2011 and denounced by the booksellers, whose business is already one of the least profitable. At the Book Fair, the PS candidate Francois Hollande said it intends to reduce its rates "from 7 to 5.5%" if elected, to "defend the digital book at one price" and "protect the rights Copyright and the network of booksellers. "

Booksellers manifest on April 28, between the two rounds of presidential elections, on the feast of the independent bookstore.

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Despite a second half which was to fear the worst, business failures were flat last year compared to 2010 when they were increased by 20% between 2007 and 2009.

According to a study by Deloitte and Altars, 58,195 companies have experienced serious difficulties in 2011. A decrease of 1% compared to 2010. 18,518 were placed in receivership. 39,677 direct into liquidation.

These figures are significantly higher than pre-crisis, during the period 2000-2007. "The failure level is impressive," says Martine Rivet, magistrate from the Commercial Chamber of the Tribunal de Grande Instance, Strasbourg cited in the survey Deloitte-Altares.

Areas heavily affected are the retail, grocery stores and food processing. The building also continues to suffer. Companies that have the highest increase in defaults are those with less than six years of existence (31,813 procedures) and companies conducting more than 50 million euros in turnover. Geographically, most of the failures are concentrated in the Ile-de-France (20%) in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (11%) and in the Rhone-Alpes (10%). The momentum of the second half of 2011, 2012 promises to be difficult. In January and February, 10,889 companies were placed in receivership, liquidation or judicial safeguards against 10,294 in 2011 and 9724 in 2010 over the same period.

March, "the heaviest month"

Companies with more than 50 employees are the first victims with a 42% increase compared to January-February 2011. Mars will be a good barometer to know the trend of the year. "This is traditionally the heaviest month for the number of firms in difficulty," Thierry Millon analysis, design manager at Altares.

The crisis has sometimes served as a catalyst to speed falls predictable. Some companies in fact knew of the difficulties for several years, due to insufficient capital and a fall in profitability for a long time. Others could no longer compete with their competitors. "The competitiveness of the French economy needs to be asked," concludes Vincent Batlle, a partner at Deloitte.

In transport, many small companies have thrown in the towel, victims of declining sales, rising fuel prices and foreign competition. German companies have cut jobs in Alsace, where they had settled in the 1980s, to turn back to Germany. "These companies were looking for a cheaper production base and an opening on the French market. Today we are witnessing a counter-movement, "says Claude master-Maxime Weil, court administrator in Strasbourg. In Marseille, the commercial court only deals with records of small businesses because the industrial base has weakened.

The coming months could be very difficult for LBOs (leveraged buy-out) purchased with funds that are struggling to repay their debts.

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Since the tsunami of 11 March and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Japanese atomic reactors were arrested, one after the other to be auscultated. Today, on the fifty-four boilers that supplied 28% of electricity in the Archipelago, only two work. And they should, they also stop in April to be tested for safety.

The streets of Tokyo shine though all their neon lights, and the life of the megalopolis of 35 million people saw the usual pace of its thousands of trains daily. Certainly, the corridors of Meti, the Ministry of Economy, are left in the dark, for an example. But the great campaign to save energy this summer ended.

This return to almost normal life despite the closure of fifty-two reactors, Japan pays a high price. Imports of oil and gas only for rotating thermal power plants in 2011 jumped by 77% and 18%. For the first time in thirty-one years, Japan had a trade deficit in 2011, 24 billion euros. And began the year with a record monthly deficit of 15 billion euros for the month of January, dug by the price of crude.

In this context, the government and power companies do not hide their desire: to restart nuclear plants faster. Large industrial fear a surge in the cost per kilowatt hour are pushing in this direction. The electrician Tepco, which operated the plant in Fukushima Daiichi and navigates to the brink of bankruptcy, announced an increase in its rates 17% for its major customers.

Restart nuclear facilities, just a year after the nuclear accident which forced 100,000 people to evacuate contaminated area? "For the Japanese, it's almost existential debate," says a French expert on energy, visiting Tokyo. The surveys that follow indicate that the majority of the population wants a nuclear phase-out.

Breach of trust

Reflecting Yuichiro Yonei, student 23 years specializing in energy met at the University of Tsukuba, who lived on March 11 as "a break". The young man, who no longer has confidence in the government's word on disaster management Fukushima, became antinuclear. Many young people who share his position on social networks come to sign the petitions in the tent erected militants since the fall before the Ministry of Economy.

The government Yoshihiko Noda walking on eggshells. It will not go into force. Formally, it does not need the green light of regional governors, elected, but nevertheless takes shelter behind them. To restore confidence, after pointing a report of TEPCO and failures of government, the government is reforming the nuclear safety authority, discredited.

Sixteen reactors only have registered for "stress test". Two of them, Ohi 3 and 4, have been deemed suitable by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and could be the first to restart.

The government plans to present in June or July of its energy strategy for the coming years. "We must remove our dependence on nuclear power and build medium to long term a company that will not have to rely on this energy," said the Prime Minister Noda Saturday.

By the summer season of peak power consumption due to the massive use of air conditioning, the Japanese will have to make tough choices: restart their nuclear reactors or pay the current high price; suffer outages new current or reduce their consumption of 10 to 15%.

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It is a repudiation for the Competition Authority. The institution, which had inflicted 385 million euro fine in September 2010 with the main banks operating in France on their pricing of check processing, has seen its decision questioned by the Court of Appeal of Paris. In a ruling Thursday, the latter took the view that in this case, "the grievances of Understanding (…) can not be accepted" and that the banks concerned "should therefore be exonerated ".

The case dates back to the early 2000s, when banks have embarked on the computerization of processing checks. They are then granted to establish interchange fees, naturally passed on to end customers.

Fines must be repaid to banks

Banks have justified the introduction of these fees, which were abolished in 2007, the cost that they accounted for the modernization effort of check processing. One argument considered to be unfounded by corporate treasurers, who saw the impact fees.

In September 2010, the Competition Authority found in favor of the latter, and denounced an agreement on final prices payday loan. A vision not shared by the Court of Appeal of Paris, sought by banks complained, BPCE, Post Bank, BNP-Paribas, the National Confederation of Credit Mutuel, Crédit Agricole, Crédit du Nord, CIC, LCL HSBC France, Societe Generale.

In its reasoning, it considers that the commissions were "directly related to the new system paperless exchange of checks, public interest project neutral in terms of competition law …". It also believes that the Bank Agreement does not constitute "an agreement on final prices."

The Competition Authority may lodge an appeal. When asked, a spokesman said the institution consider what action would give the matter. Fines paid to the Treasury must be repaid to the banks.  

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Eric Besson this Wednesday morning at the University Paris-Dauphine, his new plan, Digital France 2020 laying down broad objectives for the digital sector, which now accounts for 3.7% of employment in France and 5 2% of GDP.

Some fifty measures, the minister will announce that the government wants to free up additional spectrum for the development of mobile broadband. Good news for mobile operators, which, given the exponential growth of traffic, would need additional 450 megahertz. Good news in perspective as to the state, who can expect royalties.

From our correspondent in Berlin

The symbol will not have escaped anyone. The first act of the EU summit held in Berlin earlier this afternoon. German Chancellor Angela Merkel recueillli a very large majority, including within its own ranks, having traced the Bundestag outline of the stabilization plan for the euro area, as envisaged by Germany.

Some 503 deputies of 596 votes cast, approved the "motion" filed jointly by the government majority and the opposition. The two pages of the text set to Angela Markel its room for negotiation, deal with its European counterparts, tonight no question of charging more the European Central Bank, making it taste too many Germans. And not about to spend more than 211 billion euros already pledged by the country.The Chancellor had to fly to Brussels with a clear mandate, intended to strengthen the positions defended by Berlin.

She assured members that the solutions involving the ECB for the enlargement of the European Financial Stability Dondi "are no longer on the table" for negotiations provided for in the evening. A key point for Berlin, where the risk of inflation is the line not to cross. Therefore the purchase of government bonds on the secondary market should be transferred to the ECB EFSF. The outstanding guarantees amounting to 211 billion euros in Germany, will not be increased, has added Merkel.The conclusions of the summit will EFSF then again ratified by the Bundestag, the chancellor promised.

Need to amend the Treaties

"Unemployment has not been this low in 20 years" in the country said Angela Merkel, stressing that it will work on the implementation of "viable" tonight online payday loans. But Germany can not continue to act as if its European partners are in trouble. This is why Europe must become a "union of stability." The objective is clear: "prevent the crisis from spreading to other European countries."

For Greece, the Chancellor said that the goal is to "find a solution that would allow Greece to have a debt / GDP ratio of 120% by 2020." "It is impossible without the private sector participates more strongly than had been decided in July," she said.The discount should be between 50% and 60%, parliamentary sources said.

"The report of the troika shows that Greece is the beginning of a long and difficult road," said Merkel advocating sending a permanent mission in Athens to help the country return to growth .

For Angela Merkel, the crisis demonstrated the need to modify the EU treaties to impose greater "stability culture" in the economic and monetary union. Berlin wants to include enhanced penalties, with the possibility of prosecution before the European Court of Justice, for countries that violate the rules of the European Stability Pact. "We must repair the imperfections of the euro, now or never," she insisted.

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