These sales were up 16.4% over the same period a year earlier to 52.4 billion (39.25 billion euros), according to data released Sunday by the National Federation of the distribution ( NRF).

A total of 226 million people traveled between Thursday and Sunday in stores or on online sales sites.This is also an unprecedented level, compared with 212 million last year.

Among the big winners of the weekend appears Best Buy, one of the stores that opened its doors at midnight on the night of Thanksgiving.

The London Stock Exchange began informal discussions in this direction, said Xavier Rolet, adding he had no deadline for now.

"We were contacted by French companies, which were probably disappointed by the abandonment of the SME market by the incumbent operator, Euronext," said the leader.

Despite the Europe Agreement in an attempt to stem the crisis, the cost of financing the huge debt of Italy rose again Friday at a bond test, the markets continue to doubt the credibility of the Berlusconi government.

Greece was paralyzed Wednesday by a new general strike in two days the call of public service unions and the private sector who hope to reduce the government faces a new set of austerity before Parliament. The fifth general strike since the beginning of the year – the second 48 hours since late June – comes as the country is already disturbed by categorical stops working like scavengers against which the government plans to use the army.

Few professional groups have not called to stop work, from government officials, tax officials, doctors and teachers to the sailors, taxi drivers, traders and managers of gas stations. Even the bakers should join the movement. Public transport idling Wednesday morning. Bus drivers stayed at home but the metro was operating from 6am this morning. Air traffic controllers have decided to stop working 12 hours.

The two main unions in the country, the private sector GSEE and ADEDY for the public, have called for demonstrations in the capital Athens at midday.This show of force aimed at reducing the government, which decided to further austerity measures to meet the demands of creditors of the country, which make it a condition to payment of a new tranche of aid necessary to prevent Greece bankruptcy altogether.

Countries of the European Union could agree Sunday on a new debt reduction Greek more important than that which was decided on July 21 in agreement with the banks, hoping to stem the debt crisis in the euro area that threatens Italy and Spain. In addition to lay-off of 30,000 public sector employees by the end of 2011 and a single wage grid for the officials, the bill under discussion in Parliament provides for a freeze on collective agreements, paving the way for cuts wages in enterprises in the private sector.

"This means that our employers will be able to impose any salary, though we can not oppose it. It is a serious challenge to the rights of employees", judged Tuesday night Irene, an architect of a thirty year will be on the street Wednesday.

Illustration of the urgency of the matter: Paris and Brussels talks continued Saturday for an orderly dismantling of Franco-Belgian group Dexia, the first European victim of the bank debt crisis.

Germany and France have so far given conflicting discourses on the best way to strengthen banks weakened by the devaluation of their holdings of sovereign debt of countries "devices" in the euro area and by the recent turmoil in the markets Financial.

Paris would prefer to use the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) to recapitalize their own banks, while Berlin insists on booking this instrument of last resort actions, such as support to Greece.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), meanwhile, estimates that the capital requirements of banks could reach 200 billion euros, the equivalent of half the resources of EFSF.

The Irish Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, said Saturday that the necessary capital to strengthen banks' balance sheets could come from different sources but the overall bill would in any case heavy.

"I think everyone agrees that far exceed 100 billion (euros)," he told reporters on the sidelines of an economic conference in Dublin.

"I know some of the major German banks with which I myself have discussed plan to raise money in the market, so there will be a private financing. Other banks would have EFSF funds. Others depend on their government to provide capital, there will be many ways to do this, "he added.

EACH SETTING THE CONDITIONS

Some officials believe that forcing many major financial institutions to accept public funding would not make the best use of European resources.The banks, themselves, fear that this strategy branding some of them and inflame tensions in the markets.

The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported Saturday, citing financial sources, that the first five French banks would be willing to receive 10 to 15 billion euros invested by the French state on condition that Deutsche Bank, a number Germany is also increasing its capital.

The CEO of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann, is opposed to any entry of the state capital of his group and he ruled out a capital increase.

A spokesman for Deutsche Bank reiterated Saturday that double principled position and declined to comment further.

Nicolas Sarkozy, who received Saturday the Executive Director International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, to arrive in Berlin in mid-afternoon on Sunday for a meeting and a working dinner with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Their discussions will be devoted to the preparation of the G20 summit in Cannes in early November and that the European Council and summit of the euro area provided 17 and 18 October, while Seventeen still struggling to implement the new mechanisms supposed to solve the debt crisis.

In Slovakia, in fact, the various parties in the ruling coalition Saturday remained at odds over ratification of the Europe Agreement of 21 July which provides for the strengthening of EFSF, one of the smaller parties placing conditions on his support.

Slovakia and Malta are the last two countries in the euro area has not ratified the agreement in July that some regional leaders believe already passed.

The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has acknowledged in an interview with FAZ that Europe may have underestimated the resources needed to reduce the burden under which plunged Greece.

"The risk is high to see this crisis about a further escalation and spread," he added.

A view shared by the Greek representative at the IMF, for which the financing needs of Athens will be higher than current estimates.

"This lack of funding will be covered either by an increase of 109 billion loan decided on July 21 or by a private debt restructuring," he told the Greek daily Imerisia.

Of the 150 member lower house of parliament of the Netherlands, 96 spoke in favor of the proposal.

Now, only Malta and Slovakia have not yet given the green light.

All the parliaments of the Member States of the euro area will have to give before the expansion of EFSF to take effect.

Greece "will not become India." With these words the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, said the creditors of the country which call for new cuts in wages in the private sector and lower the minimum wage. The country will not meet its targets for deficit reduction this year, its lenders demanded additional sources of money before granting the payment of a further tranche of 8 billion euros. "We're on the side of workers and we ensure the protection of their collective rights," added the Prime Minister.I must say that since the outbreak of the crisis in Greece, in 2009, the austerity measures have led to a daily population increasingly untenable. Testimonials.

40% pay less

Fotini, 32, is married with two children. It is directly affected by the decline in wages imposed austerity plans. She said in testimony to the world. "40% of my salary in less than 1400 euros gross, 20% in less than the salary of my husband at 1300 euros gross. The increase in all products and services, gasoline, food, transport tickets …" His family is also affected by austerity. "My sister graduated from high school in Athens Polytechnic, is unemployed, my eldest daughter of two and a half years has no place in municipal day care, then you have to pay 500 euros a month to write it in a private nursery. Our rent is 600 euros, it has remained stable.But with all the fixed expenses, we are left with only 300 euros a month to live. "

Pensions reduced by 20%

Anastasia is a former professional dancer. It affects his retirement for six years but has planed for 20% to 1500 euros. It demonstrates the difficulty of daily in an interview with Radio Suisse Romande. "Towards the end I'm really broke. Life has become more expensive in the supermarket, food, energy. It's depressing, we see people losing their jobs. I live with my mother who also has a retirement. People help, otherwise I will not be alone. I have three children 22, 24 and 26 years old and not yet working. It is very unfair to lower the wages of people who have always been correct with the law. It hurts. I'm not allowed to work in conjunction with my retirement, not even a dance school.If I do that I was cutting a big part of my pension. I also very afraid of riots, the country goes bankrupt and can not even touch our retirement. I am very, very worried. "

Unemployment affects 4 out of 10

Greek youth is affected by austerity. Laurane Chytiris is a Greek-Swiss student in French literature at the University of Athens. She said: "I think to leave Greece for one year to get my master elsewhere. If the situation does not improve, I will not. I have a lot of knowledge on the internet looking to live in England or France. They see that it is unbearable here. There are young people of 30 who still live with their parents. They have a job but can not afford to pay rent with what they earn. " And unemployment is not just young people.The government announced an official figure to 16.3%, unions talk instead of 23%.

The hell of job search

Dimitri, 33. He is unemployed computer, converted into a teacher after the bankruptcy of his company at the beginning of the crisis. "I made some replacements as a teacher, but I did not post in September, I hope to have one a few months," he said still with hope. Meanwhile, it still affects 400 euros per month for unemployment benefits, which will stop in four months. For immediate needs, he relies on his savings and his family because his rent is 500 euros per month. Eventually, he too sees no alternative but to leave Greece. He participated in a recruitment drive to emigrate to Australia. "When I think of all that has to have degrees, to be ready.It's not my generation that created the debt, even if we rééchelonnons, it means that people who are not yet born today will still repay the thirty years. "

Small businesses are the key under the door

The "triangle trade" of Athens is not what it was. In this high place of business of central Athens, near Syntagma Square, fashion is the curtain fell. According to the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE), over 20% of small businesses have disappeared since 2010 in Athens. "Nobody gives us a hand," laments Themis Lizardos of Reuters, a jeweler in the neighborhood who has not dropped the curtain. But at this rate it should not delay. "There is only one hand, the one that we press our heads and keeps it on the ground," he adds.Tens of thousands of small businesses have closed across the country after the establishment of the first European aid plan of 110 billion euros, and the promise of stringent austerity measures by the government.

Real estate, next epicenter of the crisis?

Theodore Pelahaidis, is professor of economics at the University of Athens. He said the next crisis will be real estate in Greece. And you can not do much about. He said at Radio Suisse Romande. "When household savings have been spent in the coming months, what will people do? They will sell their home. But if you sell, the properties will lead to lower prices. So the next step that it will undergo a real estate crisis. And it will exacerbate the current crisis. "

The Greek economy will contract by 2.5% next year, following a decline in gross domestic product (GDP) of 5.5% expected this year, according to the 2012 budget proposal sent to the country's parliament Monday.

These forecasts are darker than those used to calculate the final in Athens bailout 109 billion euros, which was banking on a return to a growth of 0.6% next year.

The Greek government admitted Sunday he would miss this year's deficit targets that were assigned by its international donors.Athens anticipates a deficit of 8.5% of GDP in 2011, while the EU and the IMF at the planned 7.6%.

The Socialist government of George Papandreou has already announced new austerity measures to try to reduce the budget deficit next year to 6.8% of GDP in 2012 to an original target of 6.5% .

BANKS COULD PAY MORE

The fiscal slippage of Athens could complicate the ongoing negotiations on the second Greek bailout, analysts said.

"In the political debate in Germany, this will probably be used to request the renegotiation of the entire bailout and greater involvement of private investors," said Holger Schmieding, economist at Berenberg Bank.

If the "troika" of donors in Greece – European Union, International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank – concluded in their report due this month that the financing needs of Greece will be greater than expected due of the recession, banks may be required to contribute more than the discount of 21% in July.

The "troika" continue for the time to peel the accounts of Greece and has not given the green light to the payment of a new tranche of eight billion euros vital to prevent the country from be insolvent soon this month, sources said Monday.

Vice Minister of Finance had previously Oikonomou Pantelis said the discussions were over, but for the most part, the sources that have direct knowledge of the case, they are far from it.

Finance ministers of the euro area (Eurogroup) met in Luxembourg on Monday and they had to do even more pressure on the Greek government to implement more forcefully the reforms planned by the international bailouts.

The second plan, set in July, includes in particular the private sector is participating in a plan to exchange debt at a discount.Athens wants at least 90% of the creditors participating in the project goes forward.

The skepticism seems in order in the markets about the ability of Europeans to stem the crisis in Greece, especially after the latest financial reports of the country.

The country's debt should represent 172.7% of GDP next year against an estimate of 161.8% for 2011, according to the draft budget of Athens. The unemployment rate has meanwhile increased to 15.2% this year and to 16.4% in 2012.

Michael Fuchs, vice president of the coalition CDU / CSU to power in Germany, the case is heard: Greece is indeed bankrupt. "There is probably no alternative for us to accept a deletion of at least 50% of its debt," said he.

"If we reopen the voluntary agreement of July 21, we not only lose valuable time but also quite possibly the private sector support," said Josef Ackermann in the Sunday edition of Greek newspaper Kathimerini.

"The impact of such a decision will be incalculable.That's why I warn with great energy against any revision material, "the head of Deutsche Bank, who also chairs the Institute of International Finance (IIF).

At the European summit on 21 July, private creditors, represented by the IFIs, have agreed to reduce Greece's debt of some 37 billion euros through a redemption followed by an exchange.

The program anticipates a 21% discount on the underlying bonds, but in recent days, officials from the European Union have suggested that higher discount would be required to read the accounts of Greece by the inspectors of the EU and International Monetary Fund.

Josef Ackermann also finds that the exposure of German and French banks in Greece's debt is "absolutely manageable" and that it is "necessary and important for governments in the euro area to their promises and implement them on time and with determination. "