Latest France Headlines
All the headlines from our France Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Best Downgrades Allianz and Subs Issuer Credit Ratings; Affirms FSR
Dec 15 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has reacted to the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone, which it describes as “continued negative developments” with a number of rating actions, starting...
Italy, Southeast France Hit by Heavy Rains, Floods: AIR Analysis
Nov 15 2011 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide has issued a report on the heavy rains, which caused widespread flooding in France and Italy during the first week of November. The storms were caused by a “low pressure system...
Floods Hit France, Italy; UK Motorway Crash Leaves 7 Dead, 51 Injured
Nov 7 2011 // Continuing heavy rains have caused serious flooding in southern France and throughout Italy, with little letup in sight. In western England an horrendous crash on the M25 motorway in Somerset, involving 34 cars and trucks,...
France, Germany Give Greece Ultimatum on Euro
Nov 3 2011 // The leaders of Germany and France told Greece on Wednesday it would not receive another cent in European aid until it decides whether it wants to stay in the euro zone. They also made clear that saving the euro was...
Germany Rebuffs France on Euro Zone Solution; Insurance for Bonds an Option
Oct 21 2011 // France’s push to use more European Central Bank money to fight the euro zone debt crisis ran into strong resistance from Germany and other EU partners on Friday, leaving Paris increasingly isolated before a crucial...
French Broker Filhet Allard Joins BrokersLink in Expansion Move
Oct 20 2011 // Filhet Allard, the 6th largest corporate broker in France, has become a member of BrokersLink, the independent insurance broker network, whose members manage premium volumes in excess of $14 billion, as part of the...
Europe’s Fleet Vehicle Market Valued at $23 Billion
Oct 18 2011 // New research by Finaccord, a specialist market research consulting firm, estimates that the market for motor insurance for fleet vehicles across ten European countries is worth €15.8 billion [$21.77 billion] in premiums...
Who Is Reid French and Why Is He Saying Nice Things About Insurance?
Oct 17 2011 // Applied Systems’ new CEO Reid French is no stranger to technology, having worked for several software makers over the past 15 years. One job was with a company called Six Solutions that sold software for professional...
Applied Systems Names French as New CEO
Sep 13 2011 // Illinois-based insurance software firm Applied Systems has named Reid French as the company’s new chief executive officer. As CEO, French will direct Applied Systems business strategy, develop client relationships,...
Sarkozy, Merkel Push Euro Integration; No Joint Bonds
Aug 17 2011 // France and Germany unveiled far-reaching plans for closer euro zone integration on Tuesday, but they disappointed investors by declaring that any thoughts of a common euro bond issuance would have to wait. Under heavy...
Sarkozy & Merkel Face ‘Stark Choice’ in Euro Zone Talks
Aug 16 2011 // The leaders of France and Germany face a stark choice in talks on Tuesday over whether to begin steering the embattled euro zone towards closer fiscal union or risk watching the bloc unravel. French President Nicolas...
EQECAT Models $260 Mn Windstorm Risk Cat Bond for French Nat’l Power Co.
Aug 15 2011 // Oakland-based catastrophe modeling firm EQECAT has provided risk modeling services to Electricité Réseau Distribution France S.A. (ERDF) for the issuance of a €150 million [$216 million] catastrophe bond transferring...
Judge Likely to Give French Shoemaker’s ‘Red’ Trademark Claim the Boot
Aug 12 2011 // In a court case that has all sides seeing red, a judge said this week that a French maker of luxury shoes worn by stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarlett Johansson and Halle Berry will likely fail in its effort to...
Lloyd’s: Drought Caused Subsidence Costliest Natural Hazard in Parts of Europe
Aug 9 2011 // An article on the Lloyd’s web site notes that “news reports on climate change have focused on dire predictions of more hurricanes and increasing flooding due to rising sea levels. But subsidence caused by...
Rio-Paris Crash Probe Finds Air France Pilots Ignored Warnings
Jul 29 2011 // French investigators said on Friday that the crew of Air France’s Rio-Paris flight which crashed into the Atlantic two years ago ignored repeated stall warnings and failed to follow textbook...
Liberty International Appoints Environmental Liability Underwriter for France
Jul 25 2011 // Liberty International Underwriters in Europe (LIU Europe), a member of Liberty Mutual Group, has appointed Audrey Mondin as Environmental Impairment Liability Underwriter in its Paris Office. LIU said the move resulted...
Europe’s Banks, Insurers Take Greek Debt Hit in Stride
Jul 22 2011 // Major European banks have limited their losses on Greek bonds to just over €5 billion [$7.2 billion] after negotiating a 21 percent haircut on their debt holdings as part of a rescue plan. France’s BNP Paribas is...
Portugal Adds to Europe Woes as Banks Meet on Greece
Jul 6 2011 // A credit rating downgrade to Portugal [by Moody’s Investors Services] added to fears Europe’s banks face heavy euro zone losses if a private sector plan to help Greece comes unstuck, piling pressure on...
S&P: Resilience of French Insurance Industry Will Be Tested Further
Jun 29 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published a report – “French Insurance Industry Holds Up Under Pressure, But Challenges Still Lie Ahead” – on the challenges the French insurance...
Accounting Issues Could Stall France’s Greek Debt Plan
Jun 28 2011 // Accounting issues remain a formidable obstacle facing private sector investors currently considering the French banking sector’s plan for restructuring Greek government debt. The plan’s focus was initially on...
