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On 11 March, a giant earthquake and tsunami ravaged north-eastern Japan and caused a major nuclear accident at the plant in Fukushima. Balance human, environmental and economic one month after the disaster. View of the industrial port of Tokyo A heavy human toll

The disaster left 13,116 dead and 14,377 missing. In the northeast of the country, 150,000 people still homeless, living in shelters. Many of them do not foresee improvement in the short term, while the huge construction site cleaning millions of tons of debris has barely begun.

The accident also forced some 80,000 people to evacuate in an emergency cities and villages within a 20 km radius around the plant. Accommodated in shelters, they do not know if they will return there to live for several years.The operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant will pay 8,260 euros per household to compensate.

Nuclear contaminated area extended

For the first time since March 11, the government has demonstrated Monday in a cautious optimism in believing that the worst seemed to have been spared the central Fukushima Daiichi. The threat of nuclear catastrophe worse than Chernobyl in 1986 had been feared that a tsunami wave of 14 meters high has completely overwhelmed the guards of the plant. The power network has been destroyed and cooling systems were disrupted, causing an early melting of fuel rods, followed by explosions, releases of radioactive smoke and leaks. Many technicians Tepco operator or its subcontractors have and put their lives at risk to try to avert a major catastrophe.Watering massive reactors with seawater in an attempt to cool the fuel has forced the operator to reject Tepco 11,500 tonnes of radioactive water at sea

Despite what Japanese officials, the nuclear accident is still far from over, say experts who warn that the weeks and months will be needed to stabilize the situation. In addition, we must "fear the effects of aftershocks of the earthquake, because the structure is now degraded," said one of them. The Japanese government on Monday decided to evacuate the residents of communities beyond the current 20 km radius around Fukushima. For even if the danger of a major leak is reduced, prolonged exposure to low doses of radiation can still be dangerous.Or the combination for control of radioactivity in the West (ACRO), an independent French laboratory, has published data indicating a significant contamination of villages located 40 km from the plant in Fukushima. "Contamination with Iodine 131 is predominant. (Instead Meade said Iitate) we detected 1.9 million becquerels per m2. It's huge," he told AFP Boilley David, the president of this laboratory. Which was also found Cesium 137 in smaller quantities but still "alarming" because this radionuclide is slow to disappear: it decreases by half every 30 years while the Iodine 131 "will disappear quickly when the discharges have ceased" , according to a statement of ACRO.

Economic cost: the most expensive natural disaster in history

The extent of damage to infrastructure – from roads to railways, from the electrical grid and ports – is unprecedented since the Second World War. The government estimates that the cost of damage is between 130 to 205 billion euros. The World Bank estimates about the cost it between 122 and 235 billion, or 2.5 to 4% of GDP. In all cases, it is the costliest natural disaster in history. The OECD says it will cut $ 0.2 to 0.6% growth in the first quarter and from 0.5 to 1.4% in the second, before a rebound in the second half. The IMF has lowered by 1.6% to 1.4% its growth forecast for Japan in 2011

Since the beginning of the disaster, hundreds of companies are paralyzed. Either because they have suffered direct damage.Either because they can not operate due to poor road conditions, closure of ports and especially power outages.

Indeed, the central Fukushima should never restart, when she fed the megalopolis of Tokyo, economic powerhouse of the country. The electricity-intensive industries like cement, steel or paper, are most affected. But the impact is also strong in sectors such as automotive or electronics running lean to minimize inventory. Toyota to Sharp, the industrial giants have been forced to reduce or suspend a portion of their production.

Result: production expected to plummet over the coming months. And to make matters worse, the rise of the yen caused by the repatriation of capital continues to affect exports."Over the last twenty years, Japan's economic problems were primarily related to failure of the demand," said the chief economist of BNP Paribas in Tokyo, Ryutaro Kono. "The economic contraction is now expected mainly due to strong constraints on supply. "

Finally, radioactive pollution released by the Central Fukushima risk of further exacerbating the situation of farmers and fishermen in the northeast. Several agricultural products are already banned from sale in the prefectures surrounding the central and tests on fish have revealed abnormal levels of cesium in a kind of small sand eels.

The beginning of reconstruction

After a mourning period of one month, the Government believes that the time has come for reconstruction.For his second field visit, the Prime Minister Naoto Kan visited the port of Ishinomaki where he said a priority was that "coastal fishing can resume as soon as possible" after the destruction of facilities port. Mr. Kan has also promised to build a first batch of 70,000 homes. A special committee to organize the work must be formally introduced on Monday and Prime Minister should call on people to eat more to support the third world economy. The city of Tokyo could also be a candidate to host the summer Olympics 2020 to give a "boost" for reconstruction.

Japan, third world construction market, has the resources and capacity to rebuild quickly to meet urgent needs of disaster victims.Reconstruction, however, should be longer than after the Kobe earthquake, according to the World Bank because of "the disruption of production networks, particularly in the automotive and electronics industries. Hirokazu Anai, an analyst at JP Morgan Securities in Japan estimated that at least three months will be needed to restore a minimum road network in order to distribute water, food and fuel in the north-east. Temporary houses will be built next to the victims before the actual reconstruction operations begin.

Work to rebuild the north-east of the country should allow some rebound in activity and consumption in the country.This process will include an improvement to the construction industry, whose prospects are clouded by the declining population, low growth and a heavy debt (which is twice its GDP), which limits the large investment projects in infrastructure. But the earthquake also could discourage investment in the islands and affect the cost of construction companies in the coming months, analysts say.

An early spring but not necessarily sustainable and could be summed up the new economic forecast by INSEE for France, which offer hope of slowing the momentum of recovery in the second quarter after a start to the year.

In its quarterly economic note, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies now expects 0.6% growth for the first three months of the year, twice more than expected in December, but only 0, 4% for the second quarter.

While the business prospects of French companies in the short term are favorable, as shown by the surveys, which augur well for an acceleration of production and business investment in parallel with the rise in utilization rates building.

But that dynamic recovery is likely over the months of being deprived, at least partially, several supporters present at the beginning of the year, and suffer three "negative shocks" that have global repercussions.

This earthquake and tsunami of 11 March in Japan (which should result in a contraction of Japanese GDP in the first half), the soaring price of oil and food prices and the policies of several Asian countries , led by China, to curb the risk of inflationary overheating.

The rapid rebound in world trade after the slowdown of late 2010 therefore should diminish.As for the French domestic demand, supported earlier this year by the "trailing effect" from the end of the scrapping of cars and a bounce-off of public works, it could falter slightly in the second quarter.

To these factors one must add the impact of rising energy prices and raw materials.

According to calculations by the Institute, the rise in the price of a barrel of Brent (+5 euros in the fourth quarter of 2010, 12 euros for the first three months of this year) should amputate 0.05 point growth rate in January March, then by 0.15 percentage point over April-June.

NO EFFECTS IN SECOND ROUND VIEW

The combination of the surge of inflation and wage moderation, helped by a continuing high unemployment, may limit the increase in purchasing power to 0.1% in the first quarter and 0.3% in the second, thus curbing consumption.

INSEE provides for a gradual impact of soaring commodity prices and oil prices on consumer prices, which would be mid-2011 the core inflation at 1.0% and the price index consumption to 1.9%.

However, it anticipates much of "second-round effects", that is to say, a spread of prices on wages.A phenomenon that has yet justified the rise in interest rates announced Thursday by the European Central Bank.

For improving the labor market should be very gradual, with indeed an increase in job creation in the market sectors (78,000 to 60,000 after the first half of the second half of 2010) but also a decline in employment non- merchant, therefore less support for assisted jobs.

The unemployment rate therefore stagnate in the first quarter to 9.2% in France to fall only a few tenths of a point on April-June, said Insee.

Under these conditions, the growth overhang at the end of the first half would be 1.4%.Reach the figure of 2.0% provided so far by the government for the whole year would therefore require that the French GDP grew by 0.7% in the third and fourth quarter, as calculated by INSEE.

Deceleration promised to France between the first and second quarter is expected to affect most other major advanced economies, but with varying magnitudes. German growth would be 1.0% in January-March and 0.8% in April-June while in the United Kingdom, it would fall from 1.0% to 0.1%.

The government wants to force companies to raise wages in the case of an increase in premiums paid by their shareholders.

Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed Thursday in the Puy de Dome that the government was preparing a device that would force companies to raise wages when they decide to increase the dividends they pay to their shareholders.

"I would imagine that a system is that when we increase what we give to shareholders (…) the employees have a part too," Sarkozy said during a roundtable in a factory of manufacturer of aluminum Alcan EP Issoire.

"I wish it would not be in the context of participation," he added, explaining that premiums paid in connection with such devices were not sufficiently well understood by employees. "If there is a premium for shareholders, there must be a premium for employees.It is currently working on it, "stressed the head of state.

"That the shareholders make money, great! Whether companies make money, great! But I can not accept that for the CAC 40 companies one has been able to distribute over 80 billion euros dividends to shareholders and, at the same time, we explained that there was no money for salaries, "he said.

"The value of a company is its knack (…) is the quality of employees, workers executives (…) they are happy, they are considered respected, they feel that when things are going better, too, benefit is any benefit, "he also said Mr Sarkozy. "If they feel that everything is (…) to the shareholder and the employee nothing, then there is crack the entrepreneurial community," he said.

Regularly criticized for failing to meet its election promise to be the "president of purchasing power," Mr. Sarkozy had estimated in March that the low wage compared to the large amounts of dividends paid by companies to their shareholders was "no longer bearable". He wanted to see a revival of employee participation and asked the ministers of Economy Christine Lagarde and Xavier Bertrand Labour prepare measures.

Airbus announced on Wednesday it had put forward the commissioning of the new version of its Airbus A320 remotorisée, given the success of the device to its customers.

The most fuel-efficient version of the "best seller" of the aircraft manufacturer will be available in October 2015 instead of 2016, Airbus announced Wednesday.

The manufacturer said it had recorded more than 300 commitments total family A320neo.Customers chose PW1100G engine from Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies to start the development of devices.

With its new engines and winglets devices, the display A320neo fuel savings of up to 15%, which represents up to 3,600 tons of CO2 less per year per aircraft.

"The extraordinary demand on the market for appliances (…) A320neo family encouraged us to bring forward the launch of this device to October 2015," Airbus said in a statement.

Matignon announces that there will be no further increase in gas prices in July. Those of electricity will increase by 3% but will then be frozen for one year.

François Fillon has "taken a set of measures" to "mitigate the impact of energy prices on the purchasing power," he said Tuesday, April 5 Matignon in a statement announcing the cancellation of such an increase gas prices to July 1 and the study of a new pricing formula.

In this release, issued early in the morning, the Prime Minister also indicate that electricity prices for households will increase by 2.9% on 1 July 2011, then remains unchanged until 1 July.

Matignon also reports that in perspective consider the rising price of fuel, oil companies will be put to contribution in order to allow an increase in tax deductions for many professionals using their cars.

Budget Minister Baroin going to conduct a revaluation "of 4.6% flat rate mileage apply for tax revenue in 2010 compared to the level used in 2009 to take account of recent developments fuel prices. "

"This measure will be funded by a special contribution of oil companies that ministers will identify with them during the roundtable scheduled in the coming days," says the press still Matignon.

The Italian government plans to adopt a structure similar to the Strategic Investment Fund (ISF) in France set up to invest in strategic businesses and prevent their takeover by foreign groups.

This reflection responds to concerns about the fate of Parmalat, the largest dairy group in Italy that side eyeing the French Lactalis.

Speaking this weekend on the sidelines of a business forum, the finance minister, Giulio Tremonti, said that the Italian version of the ISP would be partially supported by the Cassa Depositi e Presititi (CDP), a public holding company that manages a assets of 235 billion euros and is open to private investors.

"The PSC is committed to a plan to create a fund opened to private investment in the same French Strategic Investment Fund," he said Saturday.

Given the risk of a resumption of Parmalat by French Lactalis, which already owns nearly 30%, the Italian government has already authorized by decree the Deposit to take a direct part in the capital of Italian companies.

The creation of a fund investment in companies considered strategic sectors would take a further step in the protective device.

"We will submit to the European Commission a bill identical to the French text.Better yet, we present a text written in French, "quipped Tremonti.

A financial contribution of the CDP in Parmalat would obviate the quest for an industrial partnership with groups such as Ferrero Granarolo or the bank Intesa Sanpaolo, a shareholder of Parmalat, attempting to organize to block a takeover of the company Lactalis dairy products.

"At this point, (an industrial partner) is not necessary.If she gets the funding, Parmalat may sue its industrial plan, "said one government source.

"THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT IS GOOD CARE OF ACTION"

In an interview published Saturday by the Corriere della Sera, Francois Fillon said the French authorities did not intend to interfere in the Parmalat case-Lactalis.

"In the case of Parmalat and Lactalis, the French government is careful not to intervene in the operation as being on the government's response (Italian)," the Prime Minister, adding: "We simply note that Lactalis deeply rooted in Italy, where he was the first collector of milk. "

The PSC could also intervene in another key sector, energy, investing in Edison.Italy fears that the company does not swing entirely in French hands since EDF expressed its intention not to renew the mandate of the current director of Edison, Umberto Quadrino and replaced by Bruno Lescoeur, Chief Operating Officer of the French electricity.

Corriere della Sera who asked if he should be seen as a possible response to the intervention of Giulio Tremonti in the Parmalat case, François Fillon "ensures that there is no relationship." "The president of EDF, says he is not an agent of the French government, he defends the interests of his company."

Air France-KLM said Friday increased its ticket prices to take into account, the Franco-Dutch airline, the acceleration of inflation.

From France, an economy class ticket costs from April 1, between 20 and 50 euros more for a round trip long haul, 10 to 14 euros more for a medium or two euros more for a short haul.

"Excluding fuel costs, the total cost of the Air France KLM increases structurally, in an economic environment characterized by an acceleration in inflation," it said in a statement.

The National Economic Commission (NEC) has revised upwards the inflation forecast for this year in France to 1.8% against 1.5% so far, announced Tuesday the Minister of Economy Christine Lagarde .