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While the Internet has become as indispensable as water or electricity, Pierre Danon, CEO of Numericable, announced that the cable operator will introduce a social tariff, responding to the request of the Prime Minister.

LE FIGARO. – For 9.99 euros per month, which will service the right customers?

Pierre Danon. – The Prime Minister had asked the operators a triple play package of around 20 euros for the poor. Numericable goes beyond and offers 9.99 euros a month for 60 channels of television (DTT channels and a selection of foreign channels), Internet access at 2 Mbps and unlimited calls in metropolitan France.There are two requirements to be eligible for this offer: being beneficiary of the RSA or disabled adult allowance and live in housing benefit service unique digital Numericable.

Will you receive compensation from the state?

The universal service fund, managed by the Caisse des depots, should pay a subsidy of 4.21 euros per month per subscriber to Numericable. This package will therefore revert to 5.99 euros a month to subscribers, 4 euro is already included in the charges. I sent a letter yesterday with the offer to Prime Minister, Arcep and services Bercy. If they approve our offer within two months we could launch it this summer.

What advantage Numericable?

It is primarily a historical constant of the cable as being involved in social housing and community.On the other hand, Numericable, who will work with municipalities and departments on this job should be able to equip a large number of new homes. Some customers take the social tariff, but others choose our offerings more upscale. I think that with this offer we can win new customers. We are now at 25% market share on the recruitment of new Internet subscribers. This should enable us to progress further. Not to mention that in dealing with public housing offices, Numericable reduces acquisition costs and delinquency risks.

You had already launched in November offer "low cost" to 19.90 euros. What is the result?

This offer works very well. It represents approximately one third of our new subscribers. Auchan is also to engage the clutch on this niche, because there is a real logic to segment the market.They are not social but tender offers "low-cost targeted. For example, many people do not use the TV service yet they pay their standard Internet package at 30 euros a month. We must stop the dictatorship of the package at 30 euros, which was a stroke of genius Free, but has not moved for four years.

After Darty and Auchan Bouygues Telecom, will you welcome new operators on your fiber network?

We are in discussions with various partners, but he must first deal with the influx of new customers for our partners. Auchan has trained 1 200 hypermarkets in 72 vendors!

The picture improves Numericable does to customers?

Yes. Having been a champion of consumer complaints, admittedly, we're totally out of radar DGCCRF.The service was bad a year ago, we made a lot of work, it is now correct. And we will still improve.

Having renounced the 4th license, what are your plans in the mobile?

Our priority remains the fiber. On the mobile, we are virtual network operator Bouygues Telecom. We will soon launch a 3G and a key card offer prepaid. But we do not support the pedal fully, because we can not afford to spend millions of euros to acquire a subscriber base.In 2010-2011, Numericable focuses on profitable growth.

Are you still handicapped by the weight of your debt?

Having renegotiated our debt with the bankers in November, we loosened the noose and we are perfectly comfortable with our deadlines for repayment of 1.5 billion euros by 2014.

The connected TV is it a concern for you, whose job is to aggregate a bunch of strings?

It is a subject that we anticipated early 2009 with our range of interactive TV "2.0", and we continue to invest. We have discussions with several manufacturers of televisions. In April, Numericable present its first applications in the form of widgets available on the TV screen.We will launch thematic portals (youth, sports, entertainment …) which will become real media capable of guiding the client and recommend programs.

Henri Proglio and Anne Lauvergeon, who lead respectively EDF and Areva, are called in on Wednesday afternoon at Matignon. The Prime Minister has every intention of putting an end to bitter arguments currently taking place between the two main leaders of the French nuclear industry.

Since late December, the two groups, which have the state as shareholder ultramajoritaire, to blame for the failure of the bidding in Abu Dhabi. And in January, has expanded their quarrel: Areva has just suspended the transportation of spent fuel – from EDF's power – to its reprocessing plant at La Hague. In the entourage of Francois Fillon, it stresses that both companies are forced to work together.The prime minister wants to put an end to these incessant disputes and public.

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Born in the urgency of the crisis, the idea of an "economic government" back in force at the time construction begins the following: provide sustainable Europe on track towards growth and employment . Herman Van Rompuy, EU president, described the emergency Friday as "a matter of survival" for the continent. In response, the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero suggests a tighter coordination of national economic policies, with the possibility of sanctions against the recalcitrant.

For his baptism of fire in Madrid, the first president of the European Council has sounded the alarm. Europe out of the crisis weakened and "defensive," said Herman Van Rompuy. She has no choice. After the test, "the growth potential of the EU has fallen to just over 1% per year. It will not be sufficient to fund our social model (…) and the so-called European way of life. "It is time to speak truth to reforms and "the collective effort."

Europe out of the crisis and palliative care, but diagnosis remains gloomy backdrop of sluggish growth and industrial decline facing Asia and America. Unemployment rose for the first time in over 10% in the euro area, adds gloom. The first test of a burst is due February 11 in Brussels at an extraordinary economic summit with President Van Rompuy himself summoned.

Risk for sovereignty

Spain Jose Luis Zapatero, who holds the presidency of the EU, expresses its readiness to help."We must absolutely take another strategy (growth), binding, with the 2020," said Spanish Prime Minister told reporters.

For Madrid, the collective rules that already apply to the euro, government deficits or the competition on the market provide a unique model of governance. It should be expanded to a European recovery in the medium term. The idea remains controversial. If France pushes for eighteen months a "greater coordination" industrial policies, Germany is notoriously reticent. As for Britain, it opposes the front to European encroachment on its sovereignty.

Spain wants to raise – and more muscular – the idea of an investment plan in ten years. Already proposed in the late 1990s, the Lisbon Strategy was to make Europe the area's most competitive. In 2010, she finds herself far short.Now Madrid wants to go further by requiring states to targets and deadlines in areas deemed critical: energy, education, the digital economy or vocational training. The scoreboard would be monitored by Brussels. "Incentives and corrective measures will complement the device, said Jose Luis Zapatero. This time, it is to ensure that the objectives will be achieved. "

Madrid launches the debate with a hint of provocation. Herman Van Rompuy has not taken over the idea of a constraint. The crisis has restored the fortunes of interventionism. But the Spanish recipe may strike the interests of States.The Capitals would not see a good eye, the EU invested a right to control their expenditure budget, or even any power to sanction.

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The crisis has backfired in China. With more than 8% growth in 2009, Beijing table already on a growth of 9.5% for 2010, relegating the slowdown of the first and second quarters to the level of vague memory. In any case the forecast of the State Council Development Research Center, near the Chinese government, which estimates that investment driven by the market will gradually take over from the recovery plan launched by the Chinese state during the coming year.

The property "become the main source of investment growth," said Zhang Liqun, an economist with the think-tank, in a report published Friday in the China Economic Times, a newspaper that publishes all research center. Investments in this sector are expected to jump 30% to 40%. Inflation, which feeds a lot of concern among analysts, should be contained below 3%.

Mr.Zhang also provides for a resumption of exports, which depends on the Chinese economy, which had declined in 2009. For his part, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, recalled earlier in the week a foreign trade up 10% to 15% in 2010.

These estimates are supported by the leading indicators of economic conditions, past the green for several months already. The index of purchasing managers has reached 56.6 in December, registering its highest level in twenty-two months. Above 50, the index indicates an expansion of production.

Concerns about credit

In the third quarter of last year, China's economy recorded 8.9% growth. Even in 2008, which saw the economic slowdown begin has not broken a positive revision of growth figures – like previous years.The National Bureau of Statistics announced a correction of + 0.6% of the increase in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008 to 9.6% after a reassessment of the place of service sector growth.

For 2010, the Chinese machine should not make a break. President Hu Jintao called for continued rapid economic development and stable, when television delivered his vows December 31. Most analysts expect growth to exceed that of 2009. The Asian Development Bank on a table and GDP growth of 8.9%, against 9% for the International Monetary Fund and 9.3% for the Economist Intelligence Unit.

But challenges remain unchanged. Faced with the explosion of credit in 2009, which helped finance the generous recovery plan, the Chinese Premier did not hide some concerns."It is good that our bank loans are more balanced, better structured and to a lesser extent," confided Wen Jiabao to the official news agency Xinhua last weekend. He asserted, however, want to maintain the stimulus to avoid the risk of jeopardizing the country's development. In 2010, Beijing will need more than ever think about a way of sustainable growth for the drafting of the new five-year plan, covering the period 2011-2015.

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Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has denied reports published by Spanish newspaper AS that he wanted to buy the Spanish club Real Madrid for the sum of one billion euros. In a statement released by the official WAM news agency, a source close to the sheik, said he wanted to "[focus] now all his efforts and attention on Manchester City to assure him a place among the elite clubs of the United Kingdom" .

It is true that such transaction is impractical. And for two reasons. Initially, Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was to get rid of Manchester City, which is the current owner, one person can not have two clubs at once, according to UEFA rules.

Second, it proves to be much more complicated to solve. Real Madrid had to change its constitution and become a sports company.A development which requires the approval of … "socios". Contrary to most Spanish clubs, Real Madrid, like FC Barcelona is an association "nonprofit" that belongs to its members that are other than the supporters club.

327 million euros of debt accumulated

For now, Real Madrid continued to accumulate debts, which reached this year, 327 million. And nothing says recall that last summer, the Madrid club has paid a quick one, Brazilian Kaka (65 million euros), the French Karim Benzema (35 million euros) and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo (94 million euros). In total, the club Castilian spent last summer, the tidy sum of 250 million euros.It is club football that generates the most revenue in the world with revenues of 365.8 million euros.

Although he denied the report, Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan keeps an eye on Real Madrid. The UAE dignitary "rightly appreciates the experience of Real Madrid and he is a big supporter of the twinning agreement signed in 2005 between the Spanish club and the club Al-Jazira in Abu Dhabi which he chairs.

The commercial success of Ariane would be impossible without an industrial organization has become, over the years, more effective. Until 2002, the CNES was responsible for developing the rocket, Arianespace managing manufacturing and Aerospatiale, the ancestor of Astrium, took charge of industrial architecture. This division of labor worked somehow. Each pitcher was a prototype. This organization generates a lot of losses.

After the drama of the maiden flight of Ariane 5, June 4, 1996, the failure of the model is used. The new rocket exploded in flight; European space wavers. "It is the founding event. He had organizational change. Finally, the European Space Agency has decided, under German leadership, entrusted with the responsibility of Astrium development and production, "said Francois Auque, President of Astrium.The reorganization was launched under his leadership.

Specialization sites, reduction (- 25% production – 40% in the support functions), quality improvement … It is to stabilize the development model of Ariadne to improve reliability and meet delivery. "The success of a pitcher is related to its reliability and its competitiveness, stressed the President of Astrium. We are able to deliver the launcher three to four days before the contractual date. "

Subject sophisticated technology, the Ariane 5 is the first to be produced in series. In early 2009, Astrium took command of 35 Ariane 5 to 4 billion euros. The manufacturer will provide 7 launchers per year from the second half of 2010. The availability of Ariane is guaranteed until 2015. Reassuring for customers!

The organization is well established.10 countries and 86 suppliers are engaged in the manufacture of the launcher. However 80% Franco-German and 60% French. Astrium is prime contractor for the launcher and floors that are assembled in Les Mureaux in France and Bremen in Germany. The French engine manufacturer Safran provides the Vulcain engine, SNPE two boosters powder, Astrium Germany cryogenic engine of the second floor.

The rocket comes in kit form in Guyana. Several times a year along the Seine, the lower part of the rocket 35 meters long and 5 meters in diameter with its engine supports Le Havre aboard a barge. From there it crosses the Atlantic on a container ship. A trip looks identical to the second floor from the port of Bremen. The junction is realized in Kourou space base Guiana, which, with its 1 350 employees, is the largest private employer in the department. Ariane is assembled on site by teams of Astrium and Arianespace.This phase lasts on average six weeks before the launch.

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