La perspective d’une victoire du parti Syriza représentant la gauche radicale en Grèce a subitement déclenché l’inquiétude sur les places financières, fait baisser les bourses en Europe et contribué à affaiblir l’euro. Son leader, Alexis Tsipras, a mis, depuis les élections européennes un peu d’eau dans son vin, et n’exclut plus qu’à l’issue d’une négociation difficile sur un nouveau rééchelonnement de la dette de son pays, la Grèce reste dans la zone euro. Et les responsables de son parti s’emploient à convaincre les observateurs de ...

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2014 was deeply disappointing. The economy did not achieve the hoped-for recovery and unemployment reached a record level despite the increase of subsidized jobs and the massive transfers for companies, so that they could invest and recruit. How does 2015 look like?

France will benefit from a favourable economic environment. The sharp drop in industrial raw materials prices  (iron-ore:  - 40%, natural rubber:  - 30%, textile fibers:  - 12%) and in oil prices will lead to a 30 billion euros reduction of its foreign bill. Industrial companies will recover their margins, and households will increase their purchasing power. In the past (1986, 1998 ...

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Is the drop in oil prices a temporary phenomenon resulting from exceptional political circumstances and a depressed global growth or, conversely, does it prefigure a sustainable return to cheap fossil fuels ? The second hypothesis appears more likely. The causes of the current collapse are identified. The producing countries gathered in OPEC had to face higher supply in a less favourable economic context. They could not agree with each other in order to support prices.

The United States had clearly opted for lower oil prices: this strategy amplifies the impact of economic sanctions to force Moscow to give up its territorial ...

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