Without excluding their support to a balanced solution

Everything is still possible. After a crazy week, which saw elected UMP swing ever between a marked hostility and timid support reconciliation between Suez and gas of France project, the Government has still not relinquished to put the operation on the rails. In permanent contact with the tenors of the majority, Matignon, Bercy and the Elysee teams explored throughout the weekend the different paths that might lead to a compromise. In the entourage of the Minister of economy, indicated Friday that no "firm and final decision" would be taken "before Tuesday evening", eve of the Council of Ministers.

Here again, and then that part of the unions mobilized their troops this week against the merger, "each endeavour to find a solution to the crisis", says the UMP: the Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin should receive this evening Bernard Accoyer, leader of the majority party in the Assembly, to frame the shot before the meeting of the bureau of UMP deputiestomorrow morning.

A semblance of hope

Proponents of the merger have regained a semblance of hope. Hervé Mariton, Member of the Drôme, is such: on the eve of the weekend, he considered "very open" part, believing that a "broad agreement on the energy strategy" of the Government was now in the ranks of the majority, and that the issue was only "on the way to achieve the objectives, method, and the tempo". Like him, many parliamentarians were waiting to return to their constituencies to take the pulse of the opinion and finally make a religion. Without excluding their support to a "balanced solution". Compared to the criticism made Wednesday the Assembly, the change of your notable is last. The fact that Jacques Chirac himself expressed on the subject and request that "the Government forward."

"on the project of major interest".

There is no doubt not foreign.

Everything should therefore play in the coming two days. Among the different scenarios, the scission of the initial Bill now seems to hold the rope. Without that we know very well what this Division would rise the reluctance of lawmakers opposed to the privatization of gas of France, the compromise emerging would submit as soon as Wednesday two texts separated by the Council of Ministers: one confirming the total opening of electricity and gas markets to competition from July 1, 2007; the other allowing the State to lower its stake in GDF, to retain only a simple blocking minority, prior to the merger contemplated with Suez.

In the aftermath, the first would be submitted to the consideration of members of Parliament, which would benefit to enrich all the guarantees claimed to protect consumers from high prices of energy. The Government is particularly committed to maintain rates regulated beyond July 1, 2007, and to establish a "gas social tariff" for the most disadvantaged.

At the same time, privatization of GDF would, she proposed the vote of the senators, a priori more conciliatory than their colleagues in the Assembly. If all goes well, advocates of these two concurrent readings believe that the texts could be adopted before the parliamentary recess. And that a crossover may even take place between the two chambers before July 14, if a special session was decided. The President of Suez, Gérard Mestrallet, indeed imperative, pushing to make the proposed merger "committed irreversibly in the summer" (see opposite). Otherwise, he would be forced to seek other options, which attract less than a full merger.

The eyes towards Brussels

While be fixed on the legislative calendar, Suez and gas of France look today their looks to Brussels. A little more than a month after had notified it to the European Commission, the two companies will be able in the day if their proposed merger requires a thorough investigation into the plane of the competition. If this is the case what person doubt , the operation will not receive the green light from the Brussels authorities before five months and three weeks. In other words, the end of November.