Leading Socialist deputies in the European parliament presented a report into the hedge fund and private equity sectors yesterday that advocated measures to curb the influence of activist investors on businesses and workers, or what the report calls the “real economy”. The intervention by parliament’s second-biggest political force is unlikely to lead to tougher rules for the industry by itself.
“I don’t believe that the market will solve it and I don’t want to wait for a major crisis,” Ms van den Burg said.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/63ac50a0-de5c-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html
meanwhile at the same day :
Brussels shocked by Sarkozy rhetoric
shock” at the protectionist rhetoric of Nicolas Sarkozy, the leading challenger for the French presidency, saying it was in France’s interests to promote the European single market and cross-border investment
when he said :
“Look at the waste of Arcelor, which we sold off on the cheap because we believed that the steel industry was history. They got it wrong. They lied,” said Mr Sarkozy to a cheering crowd at Lille’s Palais des Congrès. “If I am president, then France will have a real industrial policy.”
he stepped up his attacks on the European Central Bank (ECB) and the euro. “If wages are too low, it is because the euro is too expensive and when the euro is too expensive, companies try to stay competitive by making up for it on wages,” he said.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4269a51a-de15-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html
