Charitable associations worried about donations

In France, charitable associations are worried about donations. The financial crisis might make donations less important. For the moment, the associations get as well money as before but they're worried about what is going to happen.
The financial crisis makes people less generous because they have to deal with their own problems. The charitable associations recognize that it is more difficult to find donators, now and that the donation's amount goes down.
Another problem to come is a rise of work because of the rise of unemployement. But solidarity can become stronger in difficult times.
Donation is a part of the purshasing power. With the stock market, it's an indicator of the economic wealth of a country.
Asssociations are a bit angry about the rescue plan, where a very important amount of money has been unfrosen for banks. As Mrs Bourgoin, France Générosité's responsible, says "We find billions to help banks more easily than to save little children".





The case evoked here seems to be without ending. More people would need help from charitable associations. These associations would need more donations. Because of the cris, people wouldn't have many purshasing power, so they wouldn't give much money for donations. Ect...
But, this situation might improve. Moreover, it' s just fears for the moment.
However, people needing charitable associations' help is a reality. Because, with the stock market, donation is an indicator of the economic wealth of a country, and that the government helped the stock market, it should help charitable associations too, or help citizens to find a better purshasing power.
Let me know what you think.

Which seems inredible is that even people who don't have a close link with the stock market suffer the consequences of its wealth. The "non marchand" services are dependent, in a certain way of the stock market weath. According to the analysis of K. Polanyi this is called "désencastrement de l'économie" (society is subordinate to the market). But, as nationalisations seem to become more and more used to face the financial crisis, we could come back, still according to the analysis of K. Polanyi, to "un encastrement de l'économie" like in the "Grande transformation" (after the crisis of 1929). State's intervention, which would lead social problems to a better situation. The charitable associations would be more helped and so able to help people in trouble...

EU and UN actions for a less polluted world

EU environment ministers met in Luxembourg to talk about the cut of greenhouse gas emissions. Their aim is to finalise an EU climate change package by December. There is a huge pressure, especially because of the UN climate summit in Poland, in December. The Eu is aimed to cut CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020. But, many countries show doubts about it.
According to Italy's Environment minister "the package as it stands right now is not suitable". One of the main concerns is the proposal to introduce full auctioning of CO2 emission permits. With the economic crisis, countries in Eastern and Central Europe are unhappy at the burden of emission cuts they are expected to bear. Another problem is shown off by Germany. There is a fear that Euopean industries move to countries where they can pollute more, because of the inexistence or slight existence of restrictions over greenhouse gas emissions. As for Italy, it notices that big polluting powers such as China, USA or India, don't even respect the Kyoto Protocol that they backed out. It's unfair that the EU be the only one to take on the burden of pollution of the world.
UN is going to held an international conference in Copenhagen, next year to plan a post Kyoto course to tackle the impact of climate change. It had also urged the EU to continue to provide leadership for climate change.


This article shows a real commitment of the world (UN) and especially the EU for the greenhouse gas emissions and the climate state of the Earth. But there is still work to do. We can wonder if the other countries who didn't signthe Kyoto Protocol are going to make efforts about it. We can also wonder if the economic crisis is not going to curb the efforts because of the burden that the emission permits would put on countries.
States are creating laws and protocols to improve the impact of climate changes, but if they aren't applied by citizens, it won't really work. This need a commitment from the governments and from the citizens. We can notice that both become to be more responsible. There's a hope that together they will manage to improve even slightly, the state of the environment. But everybody has to make an effort individually, which will lead to a collective action, which could work.

The first "green" farm in Italy

To deal with the worsening global warming, a pioneering carbon-neutral farm is set up in Italy. Being carbon neutral, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset. It takes place at the Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio olive oil farm, north of Rome. What is so special about it is that there is a battery centre, for the first time, which can store solar-sourced electricity for up to three days. So the electricity generated by the sun no longer has to be used immediately. By doing so, the farm can continue to operate through foggy days. Farm workers can take golf carts and electric bikes which run from solar energy. "But we think that we will start getting our investment back after five years or so. From then on, our fossil fuel bills will disappear," says Lorenzo Fasola Bologna, Monte Vibiano's chief executive. What's more, a range of new technologies is being applied at the farm. For example, using miniature tractors that consume a new generation of bio fuels and renewable energy wood chips instead of methane gas.

It is relieving to know that this farm is doing something to cut the effects of climatic change. Thanks to this farm that discovered the unlimited solar energy, we no longer have to rely heavily on fossil fuels. The greenhouse effect is formed by gases include methane and carbon dioxide which is emitted by fossil fuel burning. Economically, the farm owners would gain profit from this ground-breaking technologies. It benefits all of us and protects the planet. It would be great to pass on this great, green enterprise for generations.

Carbon neutral:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_neutral

Apple hasn't taken its promise into account

Last week, there was the rumor that Apple will cut their prices when their new Macbooks and Macbooks Pro will be out. We didn't have other informations, except that their will be build with an other type of aluminum, which I will describe with others new technologies featured in this new generation of laptops. This rumor was seen as a really good news, as Apple's laptops are quite expensive... But, consumers' hopes were betrayed...

In fact, no lower prices were announced, except the old white or black plastic Macbook with a screen of 13 inches and a processor of 2.1 Ghz was reduced by 100€... And we fear that this "betrayal" will reduce Apple's turnovers... In fact, as their prices are still High, maybe consumers will tend to see others laptops manufactures. In term of concurrence, Apple will be badly placed. And a "revers de la medaille" may occur if the company doesn't put their prices lower. But, as consumers confidence in a bit lower now, it might force Apple to review their strategy for Christmas. In fact, it gives a good opportunity to relaunch sales, as customers would buy laptops as gifts. We will see if it will become a reality... 

In terms of new features, Apple did good one more time. At least, even if the prices haven't change, innovation is at rendez-vous. I was talking about a new aluminum. If fact, to build their laptops, Apple used different parts of this metal, and then put them together. It took more time to build, it was heavier and thicker. Now, designers use the "unibody" : a single piece a aluminum witch will be used to remplace the other parts. One part instead of many others. Then, the screen took an other dimension. 13 inches for Macbooks, and 15 inches for Macbooks Pro.  The new screen is entirely recovered by glass and lit by LED, which gives a real good quality in term of graphics. The new Macbooks include two graphic cards instead of one. Here is an other major innovation. In fact, when the "light" card can't afford to restitute very heavy graphics, the other one takes the relay, and they work both together. And a brad new invention, the trackpad used for the iPhone is available. We can now control every thing from the fingers, and it has no button : it is the button. It is recovered by resistant and smooth glass for more comfort and durability.

The new weapons unveiled seem tempting, but once again, the price gives a barrier. We don't know what Apple is playing with, and if the company is playing with consumers, it will be a bad news for it, because, and it is good to recall it, it hasn't the monopoly of computers. It touchs a narrow range of users, and if it comes that they don't trust Apple anymore, it will get dangerous for the company. Hopefully, Steve Jobs might think twice about his strategy, andwe will check at Christmas if he retained his promise.

For more informations, see the website of Apple        

China new reform

These days, in China, a rural reform is taking place. Part of this rural reform is a land reform which is centered around two major changes : allowing peasants to engage in th eunrestricted trade, purchase and sale of land-use contact, and extending those contratcs to 70 years from 30 years.
For the moment, it seems that the leaders are in disgreement on some aspects of this policy. In an official communiqué after the Communist Party's annual four day planning session, they just mentionned that the party was adopting a rural reform policy that would double the per capita disposable income of farmers by 2020. The details of this reform which could take into acount the land reform will be unveiled in two weeks, according to the head of the China research division for the Rural development Institute, or in March after the approval of the National People's Congress.

A village in Anhui Province, has already begun aplying this rural policy from 1978, for an experiment. The farmers of Xiaogang village began cultivating their own plots of land. Nowadays, some families have rented a total of 44 acres of land to a Shangai company. This is hoped to be a model for the accomplishments of the land reform policy.

This could be the biggest economic reform and mark a signifiant turn in Chinese economic policy. It would put an end to the collective ownership and state control that was instaured after the revoluition in 1949.

The causes could be the government worrying about the prospect of a deep recession in leading export market as well as the thousands of riots and protest in rural areas each year, which might be the biggest source of social unrest in China. If a market is developed for farmers, peasants could gain a new source of cash incom that could help to revitalize the economy by pushing peasants to product more. Some economists say that would lead to more efficient land use and allow much larger farms to establish. Moreover, this could help stabilize the inequalities between the cities and the rural zones. China is one of the starkest income gaps in the world.

But this is a delicate issue because private ownership of land is not allowed under the Constitution. Many parti traditionalists are strongly in favor of collective land ownership. They argue the China’s economy is still not robust enough to face this reform. Another point which is discussed is whether land contracts should be extended to 70 years wich would give farmers more security and presumably increase the value of their land-use rights.

We can notice that an big economic reform has already been done in the end of the 70°s, by Deng Xiaoping. The Communist party lost a part of his governmental control over citizens’ personal lives and many peasants received land leases. This led to the mixed economy and the « market socialism ». The actual government of China might want to continue an economic policy which has been beginning 30 years ago.

But the question could be : Is China going to become a capitalist country ? and if doesn’t how could it manage to be in th esame time socialist in politic and capitalist in economy ?

The breakdown of the Giants

Two of the American "Big Three" , General Motors and Chrysler, are looking for a fusion. Indeed, these two giants of the American industry have big problems concerning cash assets.

Cerberus, homeowner of Chrysler, and JPMorgan , the principal creditor of these two companies, press to find an accord. If this project reach, it will enable General Motor to conserve its leadership, whereas Toyota preempt it for the first mid-year.

A fusion between these two giants will allow GM to access to Chrysler's cash assets (more than 11 billiards) and to a big part of the 25 billiards of the governmental help for this sector. The problem of cash assets is, firstly, the consequence of the economic slowdown and the competition with asiatic constructors.

Then, these companies need a lot of money to change their production : indeed, they try to reduce the construction of 4x4, because the demand of it has completely fallen (because of oil's prices).

In the USA, these "Big Three" (General Motors, Chrysler and Ford) who were omnipresent have now "only" 50% of the market ...

This future fusion is a new example of the fall of the American industry of its first place in the world. After banks, it's now cars sector who has got problems and who needs an intervention of the government. These problems come from the fall of American demands: Indeed, these three companies made more than a half of their turnovers in North America, which is now in a period of crisis. However, even if they will never become again what they were, the fight is not finished. GM is still the first seller in emergents countries, and it doesn't want to lose this place, whereas Chrysler and Ford are looking for to progress in these countries (like the "BRIC" Brazil, Russia, India and China). However, after Banks, it's the end of an American dream...

Links :

GM, Ford and Chrysler in the "BRIC"

Risk of disparition of the red thunny fish

I will talk about a subject which is not enough discussed ... It is about the red thunny-fish which is an unknown species. The thunny-fish is a "super predator", like the shark or the tiger. Its disparition could have an irreparable effect on the marine ecosystem.

So, in order to prevent this catastrophe the French government and the governments around the Mediterranean Sea have been voted for protection laws. But, in spite of the reglementations that the governments apply, which are more and more strict, the fisher men continues to fishing it. They goes further than don't apply the decrees, they use none authorized technique, which is "filet de draguage". In fact this is a technique which consists in let a fishing-net goes down the deeper that they can, and they to keep everything and after trilling what they have.

That's where the UICN (union Internationale de conservation de la nature) intervene ... They have voted for a moratory of the fishing activities of the red thunny-fish. What's a moratory ? This is in fact, a kind of agreement which prohibit the fishing of the concerned animal. It was the case for the walles for example...
But this has to be voted by the Iccat (Commission internationale pour la conservation des thonidés) for a total prohibition of the fishing activities of the red thunny in all the oceans, but especially in the Mediterranean sea. And they have the support of an influence group which is "green peace".

In order to alert you about the falling of the red thunny-fish's stock, the maximum quota that the fisher men didn't have to clear was 29.500 tonnes, and they have deducted 61.000 tonnes !!
They did not have to clear this boundary for the perreniality of the species.
One last thing, the most eater of the red thunny-fish are the Japanese... Most of the half of fishing thunny goes to the Japanese market...

There is an other "super predator" which is threatened by the Asian market, this is the shark. But this is an other history...

I have talk about the environmental aspect of the possible disparition of the red thunny-fish, but I did not talk about the economic aspect.

I think it would be non effective, mostly in Asia and particularly in Japan, because they use it for their traditional sushi… The sushi is a symbol, but the Japan would probably suffering of a drop of their food. Because of their food is made with fishes and particularly thunny. Even other fishes would probably suffer the same thing as thunny, because in order to replace the red thunny-fish, they would fishing more one specific species, like sword-fish…

The Future

In spite of the actual financial crisis, Dubai continues its rise. (here, in meters =D )

Indeed, Nakheel, a giant company specialized in real estate, has announced last week (during the seventh edition of "CITYSCAPE", a real estate show in Dubai) the last (but not the least!) project of the emirate : a new district called "Nakheel Harbour and Tower", which contained, among others, a tower measuring more than a kilometer! This new project will be achieved in 2020 and cost nearly nothing : 38 billions dollars. This new district will be situated near the "Canal des Arabes", another grandiose project.

Sorry for the smallness of my "résumé paragraph", but my intention this week is not to describe a new project in Dubai , but more to describe the "new" Dubai (or the United Arabs Emirates) in general. Indeed, on my point of view, Europeans don't really care about it, but they have to. I'm not saying that Dubai is a threat for us, but it's now a serious contestant for european cities (especially Paris and London) and sometimes for countries.

Firstly, Dubai is now the new "El dorado" for architects (for attractions parcs, museums, hotels but especially skyscrapers) , and represents how cities will be in the future (In Paris for example, there are, since 20 years, a lot of debates to know if we have to construct buildings which measured more than 37 meters (Paris intra-muros), whereas Dubai hesitates between blue and red to paint the new 450 meter-tower which represent a giant I-pod ( I know it's a stupid example, but that's exactly what's happening!)) Ok, it's maybe exaggerated. Near Paris, there will be 3 towers of 300 meters! YOUHOU! Nearly the Eiffel Tower! No innovations after more than 120 years! (I'm sorry to be ironic, I know that these towers in Paris will be "green", and that Paris doesn't really need giants buildings, but, for me, France is in an abyss concerning new innovating projects.)

Secondly, in links with the first part, Dubai wants to be the first touristic destination of the world. For the moment, it's Paris. However, even if peoples are very interested in history and "beauty" of a city, there are also interested in new technologies and innovation -> Dubai. Furthermore, Dubai is taking this beauty and history of France and recreated it! (For example Dubai will created a new district which will resemble exactly to the "old" Lyon.)

Then , economically speaking. I'm not going to make an other giant part because I can write more than 5687 pages, but it's very important. Indeed, even if the United Arabs Emirates will not be a superpower, they are now heavily presents in Occidentals economies (especially because of the actual crisis, because they took big parts of occidentals companies in diffuculties). And, if they really want, they can buy all the occidentals companies with their "Petro-dollars". I think it's important, very important. They will also create a common currency with others Middle-East country!

I'm not saying that we have to fight again Dubai, but if Europeans want to continue to "lead the world" (technologically and economically speaking), they have to consider that the contestants are now in Asia (China, Middle-East countries) and to be united because today, France or Britain alone can't compete these countries.

Links:

Common Currency

Some incredibles projects

Lyon in Dubai

"Tour Pivotante" in Dubai

Driving games are used for advertisement

Since the video game advances technology in terms of realism, performances and behaviors of sportmen, cars, and other simulator (war, plane etc...) get us involved in the game. And now, this realism is used for advertisement. In fact, car manufacturers tend to be adepts of this realism.

They use it as a new way of promoting their cars, and for each car represented on the game, companies earn £1 per games sold. It is more profitable, because before, they had to pay movie makers to use their car. It is still the case, but by using video games, they get the opportunity to earn money and to interact with the customer, the player.

Indeed, games programmers take each models they want to introduce in their game, and use a special programme called Computer Aided Design to reproduce the vehicle as if it was real. Then, they use microphones for the sound of the motor, and enter in the programme every performances of the car like speed... This is interesting to say that the player can "try" in a way certain model of cars, which he cannot drive in real life. That's way game programmes ask marks like Lamborghini, Dogde, or other top level manufacturers to put their cars in a game, because the player/the customer is more likely to drive high-ranked vehicles rather than the every day car. This is an other intersting point. In fact, the player can try the car, as if he was in real life, and that makes a great advantage to the manufacturers. In fact, the player can make a feed back, and the manufacturers can take it into acount, and then add something more to their products. And even if the players can't buy the car, by word of mouth, the game will be sold, and the car makers will always get a turnover on the video game industry.

This article is interesting in the way of new technology used by advertisement. And we are wondering, how far will it go ?
Nowadays, a brad new technology has been invented by French, which consists to reproduce the product in 3D on a screen, but the customer can interact whit it, just as if it was in front of him. Maybe, in future times, we will be overwhelmed by advertisement, screens, and 3D effects...

A UK legal spy programme on call and e-mail

In order to fight terrorism and crime in the UK, the ministers are setting up a database plan to monitor and store internet browsing habits, e-mail and telephone records of every British citizen. Hundreds of clandestine probes will be installed on two of the biggest internet and mobile phone providers of the country : BT and Vodafone. Ministers are waiting for a blackslash as the one caused by their ID cards programme. Indeed, critics are wondering how such a vast system can be kept secure.



This MP's proposal could be linked with the French one Edvige.

What's happening now ? Why governments are so afraid of terrorism ? It doesn't seem to me that there are more terrorist actions now in France or Great Britain than before, but I might wrong.

What is the real purpose of the governments? Is it to fight terrorism or to control more closely their citizens'actions in order to have more power on them ?
But, we can wonder if their power is going to be accepted because legaly legitimated or if there is a power contestation, is the proposal going to be signed despite this desagreement ?

Are governments going to use soft power and persuade people that their proposal is good or even pass it behind them,maybe turned in a more reassuring form ; or are they going to use a "force" power ?



This proposal also sets a democratic question. Indeed, where are the limits of people's liberties and private lives and the ones of the "national interest" (ie, the nation's security) ? This kind of monitoring process looks more like a dictatorship behaviour of control over citizens. However, governments are warming and asking people's opinions, which seems a democratic behaviour. How can citizens be sure that police and intelligence agencies are not going to abuse these datas ?



Interesting article about another "spy programe" in the UK
The Interception Modernisation Programe http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4882622.ece




To know more about the ID programe http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4825353.ece

Apple threatens to close the most popular online music store

The iPods' creator has threaten to close its music store iTunes. This news was out on the 1st of October on The Times,when the CRB (Copyright Royalty Board) asked Apple to increase downloading prices. According to the National Music Publishers' Association, the increasing of the rates should represent 66%, so, between 9 to 15 cents more, in order to help the artists and music publisher to earn more money. In Euro, a song costs 0.99€. The new price would be of 1.64€. An increasing which isn't negligible.

However, Apple desagreed with this project. The company thought that their customers wouldn't buy on iTunes anymore, and that their turnover would decrease. To avoid this loss, Apple threatened to close the store.

But this solutions didn't seem to be credible. In fact if they let the store open with increased prices, the customers' number would decrease, but still, they would earn money. Whereas closing iTunes, the company would loose all of its customers, and wouldn't have money at all. Closing iTunes would meen that Apple's consummers wouldn't trust the company anymore. It means that they won't buy iPods or other Apples products, because the prices would have grown up as well.
Apple wouldn't be able to make the same turnover as before, and to try to make it the same, they would have been obliged to increase their prices, otherwise, the company would be in troubles.

Maybe this reasonning went a bit to far...
However, at my sense, I don't think this would be the case. In fact, Apple, in term of design, innovation, technology ,and durability and quality of its products, prooved very good results. For example, when the iPhone came out, despite its high price, Apple sold 1 million of these in one week-end. Which is enormous.


Now, we know that this maneuver had well worked. The prices haven't increase, which is a good news.

In relation to this second link, the author of this article gives elements which are interesting. In fact, increasing prices of music wouldn't help to struggle against illegal downloading. There would have been more of it. And, they say in this article, that a possible concurrence with Microsoft might be conceivable. We are really not sure about it, but it could be a possibility.

This case of threat in interesting to study, because we can see the weight a big company could have, in order to do what it wants (or almost...)

The eternal conflict israelo palestinian

Whereas the war is rifing between Israël and Palestine, the french diplomatie chief Bernard Kouchner went today in Jerusalem in order to support the effort of Israël to establish peace.

The conflict is not new and it began until the creation of the state of Palestine in 1948 ...
A little bit of history ...
At the beggining, the Palestine was a state create in the aim of receive the refugees of the Shoa.
But, just after its creation it was seperate in two blocks, the Jewish communitie and the Arabic communitie. The civil war explode ... From the begining of the war, Israël was always supported by France and England. In spite of many armistice signed along the following years, the war continu between Israelians and Palestinians ...

Unfortunately, the state of Israël can rely upon Iran to make its life difficult. In fact, Iran wants to have the civil nuclear and the atomic bomb ! But Israël estimate that if Iran has the nuclear weapon it can be a threat against democratie and peace. So the prime minister of Israël Ehud Olmert, has demanded the support of France. In order to convince the governement of Téhéran, Bernard Kouchner demand to dial with them before any sanction. For that, France profits of its position this semester at the head of the European union.

But, I think that this is a bit ambiguous because the last year, the french group Areva, was looking for any kind of nuclear aliances with Iran in order to install some nuclear centers...

EU observers difficulties in South Ossetia and Abkhazia

First EU observers entered the buffer zones of South Ossetia on Wednesday as they are monitoring a ceasefire according to the French brokered peace deal with Georgia and Russia.
However, some of them were turned back by Russia troops, whereas EUMM's head had political assurances by the Kremlin and that Eu monitors were meant to take up position inside the buffer zones by 1 october.
Moscow said it will complete its troops pull out by 10 october, but it plans to keep 8,000 troops in South Ossetia and Abkhaia. Russia also still has 9 check points near South Ossetia and 3 near Abkhazia. Saturday, Rusian troops left the checkpoint near the town of Gori in South Ossetia. It's the first dismantled check point.
A british member of the monitoring teams said that they were going softly because negociations were continuing at a higher level.

Next month, a donnor 's conference will be hold in Brussels. The US is going to give $ 1bn aid to Georgia and EU is expected to give the same amount. The European commission has already agreed for $700m over 3 years.


What is the monitoring mission ?
More than 200 unarmed observers from 22 EU nations, most of them are French. They are expert on human rights and legal issues.They're working in close co-ordination with the United Nations and the European security body (OSCE)
Mission duration : 12 months

Main actions :

-oversee Russian troops withdrawal

-ensuring stabilized situation : no violation of human rights and possibility to return home for displaced people

Links

NEWS : withdrawal of Russian troops from one checkpoint http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7653219.stm

A folio on the Georgian conflict http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/europe/2008/georgia_russia_conflict/default.stm
Part of the folio which I found very interesting, it answers questions that you can wonder about http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7549736.stm

This article is the continuity of those on the conflict in Georgia. But this one isn't talking about the conflict itself but about the decisions and actions taken by the EU (and the US) to help ensuring a stabilized situation. This article and the news we now have (the one in red) show us the policy of the EU, and peacekeeping forces in general. We can say that a longuer and less "dictating" policy might brings more benefits at the end that a stronger one. However we can wonder why the EU took care of this conflict instead of the UN. It might want to have a stronger position on the international stage... The reading of the article made me think about some understandable points about the conflict.

Why don't the western countries want South Ossetia to be independent ?

What really is the policy of Russia and why doesn't it want to let EU monitors come in (apart from taking care of their citizens) ?

Why, today, with all the progress made in ideologies, technologies and democracies, are men still fighting each other for territory and wealth ? Because of injustice or because of greed ?

The end of the Benelux Bank.

Belgium and Luxembourg are looking for an investor, who can buy the remaining activities of the Bank Fortis , after the decision of Netherlands to nationalize the dutch part of the financial group.

The plan programmed the last week-end planned the resale of the participation of Fortis in the dutch bank ABN Amro (bought in 2007 for 24.4 Billions Euro) to ING, which finally decided to stop negotiations. That's why the Dutch government has decided to nationalize all the activities of Fortis in Holland ( notably the essential of the activities of ABN Amro ) for 16.8 billions Euro. This nationalization leads to a disassembly of the group.

Belgium has said that the only solution of the group is to sell itself to a private investor , or to nationalize it to protect all savers and to avoid the layoff of some of the 45.000 employers.

This “second saving plan” (the first one was the participation of the Benelux in the bank, decided in the middle of September but useless because of the panic of all the clients of the bank who withdraw a lot of money) is organized during the meeting of the “G4” in Paris (France, Germany, Italy and England) where these four members states tried to find a common position towards the financial crisis.

The Belgium Minister of Economy, Jeannot Krecke, has indicated that the French bank BNP Paribas could be a potential buyer . “BNP Paribas is a possibility among others” said Krecke.

Fortis has been the first bank in Euro zone to fall because of the subprimes crisis. She bought ABN Amro last year for 24.4 billions Euro just before the beginning of the crisis, which leads to a crisis of credits, which make the possibility to borrow money more difficult to finance the operation.

The project of disassembly of this transborder group, just after the plan of the Benelux to save it, proves that the crisis is now completely present in Europe and can be very dramatic without the intervention of all the governments. After a period of privatizations, we can see a period of nationalizations (even in USA, the liberal state).

However, even if this crisis is bad for all financial sectors (less benefits, less power...) , some banks profit of the fall of others to take more power, to grow in Europe or in the world (like HSBC, BNP Paribas or Barclay's).