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If it does not take the bull by the horns, Japan will end as Greece. The policy speech delivered yesterday by the new Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, before Parliament is clearly intended to create a shock.

"Like the problems in the euro area caused by Greece, there is a risk of collapse if we do nothing against the rising public debt and consequently lose the confidence of bond markets," Has he said. Japan's debt exceeds 200% because of GDP (gross domestic product) and threatens to reach 246% in 2014, according to the IMF.

In reality, there is no chance that the archipelago is found in the situation in Athens, since this debt is 95% owned by Nippon investors and long-term rates remain very low, but feared the reaction of Tokyo rating agencies.Last January, Standard and Poor's downgraded the rating of its long-term debt from "stable" to "negative".

Naoto Kan, who can count on the support of 61.5% of the population, according to a poll conducted Wednesday, draws a line over ten years of economic policy that has led the country to choke.

He wants to go fast and run a complete overhaul of the tax system by initiating a national debate beyond partisan barriers "to ensure the support of the opposition. The economic recovery of the archipelago, with an annualized growth of 5% in the first quarter, giving him the means.

Deflationary

But this reform is likely to be painful because it requires an increase in VAT, currently at 5%, one of the lowest in developed countries. Can not kill it in the bud the recovery of consumer confidence recorded in five months? "I do not think so.The VAT could double, but that should not weigh. When households are too indebted state, they are slowing their purchases. If they have a visibility they consume more, "said one investment banker in Tokyo. He added that such measures can help break the spiral of deflation, which, "by dint expect further declines in prices affects consumption."

The government, which wants to reduce unnecessary government spending, is preparing in parallel to reduce the corporate tax, which at 40%, is one of the highest of OECD countries. This would allow companies to offer cheaper products, thereby reducing the impact of the tax increase on consumption.

"It's courageous," says a French financial analyst living in Japan.And Naoto Kan, for once, can rely with confidence on the new Minister of Finance, Yoshihiko Noda, firm believer in fiscal discipline.

Only downside, the prime minister can not deny the social promises made during the campaign of his party. But they are expensive. The only allowance for children continuing their studies, launched in the spring and intended to fight against the declining birth rate, represents 45 billion euros per year. And the Minister of Social Affairs, Akira Nagatsuma suggests it could take another form as a cash payment to families. But "when we preach the rigor of educational way, the Japanese understand perfectly," decide the investment banker, who took the gamble that the revolution Kan prevail.

The U.S. stock markets resumed their minds on Thursday. The Dow Jones climbed 2.76% and the Nasdaq gained 2.79%, to clôtire the NYSE. Wednesday, after long hesitation which direction to take, Wall Street slipped into the red at the very end of the session. At the finish, the Dow Jones lost 0.41% and the Nasdaq 0.57%.

The chairman of the Fed, Ben Bernanke was upbeat about the economy of his country Wednesday, despite the difficulties of Europe and the latest figures, disappointing employment in the United States. Ben Bernanke said before the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives that the economy should grow at a rapid pace in 2010 and accelerate slightly in 2011.Published yesterday, the Fed's Beige Book confirmed an increase in economic activity in the United States without signs of inflation, reinforcing the idea that the Fed is in no hurry to raise interest rates.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro shows a renewed nete against the dollar, worth U.S. $ 1.2098 (0.92%), around 15h40, due to a lull in all markets, on the eve the monthly meeting of the European Central Bank. The European Central Bank (ECB) is today holding its monthly monetary policy meeting.

After the disappointment of last Friday on the employment figures, investors should pay particular attention to weekly figures for unemployment benefits that are to be published today.

Meanwhile operators should welcome the trade surplus of China.China recorded a trade surplus of 19.53 billion in May, against 1.68 billion in April, with exports up 48.5% year on year last month and imports rose 48.3 %, according to official statistics published today.

From the values listed, shares of BP, listed in New York should remain under pressure. The day before, they have continued to drift, plunging more than 15% to their lowest level in 14 years, in the wake of the London listing.

The Internet giant Google has criticized the new rules governing advertising on the multifunctional phone from Apple, the iPhone, saying they could prevent him from receiving income on this unit.

Washington wants to reduce public expenditure

Barack Obama on Tuesday gave members of his Cabinet until Sept. 13 so they identify reductions of 5% of funds in their agencies and departments. That extra effort the White House to reduce spending in response to American concerns before the expected surge in debt to Uncle Sam more than 100% of GDP in 2012. However, the actual impact of this initiative looks marginal. It will only result in recommendations to Congress may be accepted for fiscal year 2012, not before. In addition, over 60% of federal spending by definition beyond these potential restrictions. These expenses called "automatic" which include debt service, expenses of the pension plan and those of public health systems.

In February, Bush has already requested a freeze for three years (after inflation) of many public spending "not automatic". But the categories have been added untouchable military spending, those relating to civilian security and international aid. But the Pentagon budget alone is $ 700 billion, or half of total discretionary spending. Moreover, the Congress, including Republicans, routinely refuses the few savings proposed by the White House in weapons programs. In point lead Barack Obama now threatening to veto the budget law drafted for the Pentagon by Congress.

Moscow is 20% of staff within

The ad has a taste for rigor, but it is not formally rigorous.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday ordered his administration to make proposals to reduce by 20% the number of officials in the country. "It is obviously, a far too severe, which can not be made mechanically or on the basis of purely financial criteria. We are talking about the fate of people, "said the head of the Kremlin, which gave no further details. Already last week, during a cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin had discussed such a proposal would lead to the removal of 120 Guaranteed pay day loans.000 positions and would save 43 billion rubles (1.13 billion euros). In contrast, half of this allocation would serve to increase the salaries of other cadres of the public.Despite the beginnings of the European crisis that could hit Russia, the government continues to boast its program of social spending that benefits particularly to retirees. In the past, such cost-saving measures have already been proposed, without being acted upon.

Germany on the wagon

Monday is a detailed history of savings – 80 billion euros by 2014 – announced by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In order of priority expenditures of the federal government. Number of allocations will be scaled down and almost 15,000 jobs disappear in the civil service by 2014.The removal of 40,000 soldiers in the Bundeswehr is also under consideration.

New sections in Hungary

After his rescue in late 2008 by the IMF, the World Bank and the European Union, Hungary had announced an initial dose of austerity with a wage freeze for two years in the public and the removal of the 13th month for pensioners. Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday a detailed budget which provides, in addition to creating a financial tax, further cuts in public spending to the tune of 425 million euros. The revenue cap leaders and the public is considered a strict examination of spending to purchase a car or phone service.

Elsewhere in Europe

It is not good to be official now in Europe.Down 5-15% of wages in Ireland, abolition of 13th and 14th month and down 7% in Greece pensions, freeze wages and non-replacement of a staff of two in Portugal, wage freeze in Italy, Spain, hiring freeze in Great Britain … Besides the cuts in operating expenses that are spreading.

This Monday has been the day of surprises. A few hours after completing the rescue funds to the euro, the European Union president Herman Van Rompuy announced Monday night that the EU finance ministers agreed that the Commission consider their national budgets. An agreement all the more unexpected given that some hours before the meeting between Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel to be held on Monday evening was canceled at the last moment. Every indication that this was yet another sign of the tension between France and Germany. And even if both sides because they advanced the calendar.Markets do not make mistakes: Shortly after the cancellation, the CAC 40 lost more than 1%, while it had managed to return to balance in mid-session.

Budgetary discipline

Anyway, this agreement will enable Europe to invent a new fiscal discipline. This is especially good news that Germany and France had openly opposed on this issue. We remember especially about the government spokesman, Luc Chatel, who said "this is not the European Commission to approve the budget of the French nation."

The EU finance ministers have also agreed Monday night to create new sanctions against countries too indebted to strengthen the Stability Pact.The agreement envisages the possibility of sanctions even when the current limit of 3% of GDP by the Covenant for public deficits has not yet expired, said President of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy, at a press conference. The idea would be to trigger the excessive deficit procedures earlier for countries whose debt is not declining fast enough low fee pay day loans. It also put more emphasis on the future monitoring of the overall debt deemed not exceed 60% of GDP, and not just the annual deficits.

A modification of treaties is not excluded

The ministers have asked the European Commission to make proposals to define new sanctions.Brussels thinking, for example the suspension of payment of certain subsidies from the European Union for uncooperative countries. Germany also advocates for the suspension of voting rights at European ministerial meetings in Brussels. "We talked about but everyone is aware that financial sanctions not require a treaty amendment," said Herman Van Rompuy.He added: "We have not ruled out a treaty amendment, but has concentrated on what can be done at short notice and under the current treaty that does not have to go to the ahead and impose sanctions, non-financial, "he added, however, ensuring that there was" no taboos "for the future.

These sanctions, which remain to be defined, could be decided whether a country has ignored warnings from its partners on the drift of public accounts, or if the overall level of debt swells too fast.

In an environment where markets are concerned about the financial situation now in Hungary – which is not part of the Euro-zone, this agreement, which follows the completion of the rescue funds of the euro, should enable bring some stability to financial markets that really need it.

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Malta takes a very dim view of the opening of the French market paris online and does everything to slow the process. This is the poker from the first to pay the price. Indeed, the opening to competition of the French market of online poker is postponed for one month, until late June because of an obstruction of Malta under EU rules, said the Agency France Presse (AFP) the entourage of the Department of Budget and confirming information site Challenges.fr

"We can not publish the implementation decree (for poker online) before June 28 It postponed a month because we are forced Malta, "says one with services Françoise Baroin.

A French law "relating to the introduction of competition and industry regulation of gambling and online gambling" was promulgated on May 13, followed by a dozen decrees.This legislation relates to sports paris, the paris horse and poker.

The Regulatory Authority online games (Arjel) should issue next Tuesday fifteen licenses to operators of online games, especially in order to start the paris during the FIFA World Cup (June 11-July 11 ).

Problem European procedure

The government had sent there over a year to the European Commission's draft legislation on online gaming, then notified Brussels implementing decrees, said the Budget Ministry. "Member States (EU) had three months to make their comments and Malta has chosen to do May 27", ie the last moment. France is obliged to meet in Brussels and Malta before issuing his decree. Paris now has one month to respond.

Malta, already established on the market for online games, contests a provision of the French law requiring players to register with an approved operator. This is contrary to the EU principle of free movement of persons and property.

"There is no problem on the merits. It is simply a procedural problem in Europe, as it has been commented at Bercy, stating that the grant Arjel as planned on Tuesday for its amenities paris sports, horse and poker. For the latter, many traders will await publication of the decree in late June. Still, the situation is embarrassing for the operators. Bwin, Unibet and Unibet already offer online poker. And waiting for regulatory approval to regularize their situation.

The banks have apparently not learned the lessons he's passed. While the crisis has raised among investors need for transparency and simplicity in marketing financial products, Madeleine Guidoni, mediator of the MFA, criticizes them in his 2009 report published on May 28 last, having taken their bad habits: those not well enough informed their clients about their content that sells the Fund or market products that are too complex and not meet the expectations of their customers. What about the first five months of the year 2010? "We see no obvious improvement vis-à-vis the general public," she says. The marketing of financial products was the main (67%) claim of investors in 2009, in mediations.This is why at the end of April, a common pole with the supervisory authority was created "to strengthen the control of the marketing of financial products," stated the AMF said in a statement in May last. Called Insurance Savings Bank-Info Service, will come in three forms: a website, a helpline and a mailing address that will be implemented "in the month of June," says one to the AMF.

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After a long weekend of three days, U.S. stocks ended the session sharply downward after Abor open in bright red, then climbed into the green after two good U.S. indicators.

In the end, the Dow Jones folds of 113 points (-1.14%) to 10,023 points, the Nasdaq drops 1.54% and the S & P lost 18 points to 1070 points (-1.7%). Oil, too, ended down sharply on 72.7 dollars a barrel, weighed down by a series of disappointing economic indicators in Europe and China, bad news for energy demand.

On the energy side, the sector suffers greatly (-4.3% for the sector index) of the state of BP (-14.97% to 36.52 dollars), which fails to control the flow of oil 's escapes into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico since April 20.Titles BP have lost more than 13% at the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday and 40% since the explosion of the platform.

The United States has opened a criminal investigation and civil and criminal cases to shed light on the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the explosion of a platform operated by BP, said Tuesday the U.S. Department of Justice.

Two good stastitiques U.S.

The increased activity in the manufacturing sector in the United States has slowed slightly in May, the ISM index fell to 59.7 with measuring, according to figures released Tuesday by the association. But his pace, however, exceeded expectations and the industry and displays its tenth consecutive month of growth.

Moreover, construction spending in the U.S. jumped 2.7% in April, according to official figures released Tuesday in Washington, showing up much more than expected by analysts.Economists on average had forecast an unchanged rate of expenditure after the decline of 0.3% originally announced for March.

June catastrophic better after May

Yesterday, the NYSE was closed for Memorial Day. Friday, after falling heavily in meeting Wall Street had ended the week around the equilibrium. The Dow Jones had lost up to 3% in session after the announcement of the lowering of the Spanish debt rating by rating agency Fitch has finally yielded 0.23% at closing.

The month of June begins on a note strongly negative, while the month of May had already been disastrous for U.S. and European financial centers.

The euro hit a four-year low

On the foreign exchange market, the euro is down sharply.The euro fell Tuesday to 1.2115 dollars in morning, its lowest level in more than four years against the greenback.

The currency was dragged down by a report suggesting the ECB further write-downs for banks in the euro area. According to the ECB, the need for reserves of banks in the euro area to cover potential losses amounted to 90 billion extra in 2010 and 105 billion in 2011. After dropping Friday, the euro had rebounded Monday above $ 1.23.

Prudential pressure

On the side of values, the U.S. insurer AIG (-3.19% to 34.25 dollars) on Tuesday sent a procedural bar to his British rival Prudential, which claimed to be lowered from 14% the price of selling its Asian subsidiary AIA, which could derail the transaction record in the history of insurance.

Also note, the aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. (-1.92% to 62.95 U.S. dollars) has won a tender to provide civilian aircraft to Russian conglomerate Rostekhnologuiï facing the European Airbus and United Aircraft Corporation Russian UAC.

Among the largest declines in the Dow, Alcoa is the red lantern, with a decline of 3.87% to 11.2 dollars, then comes JPMorgan Chase, which fell 2.63% to 28.54 dollars.

Only six values are listed in the green, including Kraft Foods (+1.05% to 28.9 dollars), more strongly, and Wal Mart (0.71% to 50.92 dollars).

General Motors has for its part announced its intention to invest $ 385 million in Brazil in the renovation of its existing production units. The U.S. company plans to renew the production line of a factory that manufactures Classic, Corsa and Vectra in Sao Paulo.