TIGHTEN MEDICAL CONTROLS FOR AIRLINES AND PILOTS !

The simple fact that the suicidal pilot Andreas Lubitz managed to achieve his aim to crash the "Germanwings flight 4U9525", which killed all 150 people on board, reveals serious faults in the security systems which the entire international Aviation Industry must address. 

Airlines Companies must continue to be responsible for checking that their Pilots are fit physically and mentally for their duties.  This means they must regularly subject their Pilots to any test considered necessary and that they obtain a written and  detailed report from the hospital or doctor.

This seems simple but Doctors are also expected  to respect their code of ethics !  People around   Lubitz said he was "mentally disturbed" !   If doctors do directly inform employers they could be sued for diffamation by the pilot or be sanctioned  by their Medical Profession for breaching the Code of Ethics ! 

Furthermore, the Codes of Ethics of the Medical Professions vary from country to country but the responsibility of Airlines, to monitor the health of their Pilots, never varies !  

Theoretically all airline companies still face the  possibility that another incident like that of Lubitz could happen again in the future !  To avoid this should they not all adopt a standard and secure, internationally agreed, procedure to protect their airline and their passengers ?

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HOLLANDE'S SOCIALISTS THRASHED IN LOCAL ELECTIONS !

What was expected last week after the first round of voting, was confirmed yesterday when the Socialists lost about half the Local Councils they had previously controled !

The Socialist Left Coalition lost 28 and now only governs in 34 Councils.   All were won by the UMP and the Centre Right Coalition and they now govern in 66 Councils. 

The extreme right National Front (FN) party which had high hopes of gaining the control of at least two Councils were thwarted ! 

The total defeat of the Socialists is seen as a reprimand for President Hollande who during the first three years of his mandate has not managed to do anything to stem the ever increasing number of Unemployed in France.  The Socialists have been severely sanctioned by more than just the floating voters for the continual rises in the Cost of Living and Taxation. 

Prime Minister Manual Valls recognises the message voters have sent but will not necessarily change his policies !

Marine Le Pen however, is encouraged by the increased support her FN Party has received and is already looking forward to the Regional Elections which will take place in December 2015 !   They will be decided by the proportion of the votes each Party obtains.  This Proportional Method could  ensure that the FN Party obtains 25 to 35 % of the Seats !  

Other Parties tremble at the thought of how the French Political Arena could change afterwards !

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ELECTIONS DEPARTEMENTALES : LA FRANCE EN BLEU

L'UMP alliée à l'UDI a remporté 66 départements et les socialistes n'en ont conservé que 34...

 

 

SUICIDAL PILOT CRASHES AIRBUS ! WHO IS TO BLAME ?

The suicidal pilot of "Germanwings flight 4U9525" purposely crashed his Airbus 320 into an Alps mountainside last Tuesday, 24 March 2015 and killed all the 150 people on board ! 

The immediate questions are "What went wrong" and "Who is to blame" ? 

Only one of the black boxes was recovered from the wreckage but at present there are no suspicions concerning the airworthyness of the plane, or of any mechanical failures which could be blamed for the accident ! 

The black box reveals one of the two pilots left the cabin to go to the toilet but was then promptly locked out by Andreas Lubitz, the other pilot !  A repeat of such an act must be made impossible in  future !   

It transpires that doctors knew that Andreas Lubitz was "mentally disturbed" and they probably did not want to breach their code of ethics by informing other people of their opinion ! 

It also became clear that the Germanwings Airline does not have medical facilities which would permit them to perform professional medical tests.  This is normal, but it does not absolve them from their duty which is to ensure that their pilots are regularly and properly examined and that they get a copy of the medical examination ! 

It also appears that the family and friends of Andreas Lubitz knew he was "unstable" ! 

The foregoing indicates that the "Code of Ethics", which so conveniently protects doctors now,  needs to be modified, to oblige them to file an official report even when they do not, or cannot know, what might happen in future ! 

To conclude, are doctors not already in the best position of anyone, to know and judge the extent  of a risk and to prevent an unexpected "accident" ?                    .   

  

COPROPRIETE: MISE EN CONCURRENCE DU SYNDIC

Une nouvelle obligation a été mise à la charge des conseils syndicaux de copropriété par la loi du 24 mars 2014 dite loi ALUR : procéder à une mise en concurrence du syndic lors de sa désignation, c'est à dire tous les ans si le syndic est élu pour un an, tous les trois ans si son mandat est de trois ans (1).  Ceci alors même qu'aucun copropriétaire ne souhaite changer de syndic.

Le conseil syndical doit présenter plusieurs projets de contrats de syndic faisant notamment état des frais afférents au compte bancaire séparé ( loi du 24 mars 2014 modifiant l'article 21 de la loi du 10 juillet 1965).

Le conseil syndical est dispensé de la mise en concurrence si le marché local des syndics ne la permet pas.

Pour la plupart des commentateurs et pour les conseils syndicaux, cette nouvelle obligation  est considérée comme une aberration...

La Ministre du logement Sylvie Pinel a d' ailleurs indiqué le 9 octobre 2014 qu' une grande simplification du dispositif de mise en concurrence des syndics était nécessaire et a précisé : "bien que la loi ne prévoit pas de décret d'application, rien n'empêche d'en élaborer un ou bien de concevoir un autre vecteur réglementaire".

Les conseils syndicaux soucieux de respecter la loi restent donc dans l'embarras ! Certes comme le conseille l'ARC, ils pourront toujours prétendre que les syndics contactés n'ont pas répondu...

 

Si le conseil syndical n'a pas satisfait à son obligation de mise en concurrence, aucune sanction n'est prévue à son encontre ;  mais la résolution désignant le syndic ne risque-t-elle pas d'être annulée à la demande d'un copropriétaire procédurier ?

Une année s'est déjà écoulée depuis la publication de la loi, il est grand temps d'éclairer syndics et copropriétaires sur ses modalités d'application !

DML

 

(1)Le projet de loi Macron n' envisage pas la suppression de cette obligation mais prévoit d' en modifier  la périodicité.la mise en concurrence aurait lieu à l'expiration du 2eme mandat consécutif c'est à dire tous les deux ans pour un syndic élu pour un an, tous les 6 ans pour un syndic élu pour 3 ans.

 

FRENCH POLITICIANS FEAR NATIONAL FRONT GAINS !

Ahead of the second and final round of voting in the French Local Elections this Sunday, a scramble by National Leaders has taken place who all urge their electors to vote for their party candidates !

All National Party Leaders are scared stiff at the thought that the National Front (FN) could again increase its share of the votes and make gains at their expense !   The thought that this could be repeated in the Presidential Election in May 2017 horrifies them !

Sarkozy has instructed his electors to only vote for the UMP candidate if there is one or to abstain from voting, but never to vote for Socialists nor National Front !  Valls the Prime Minister tells his voters to vote for the Socialist candidate if there is one or for UMP to prevent the FN candidate from being elected ! 

National Politicians in France avoid asking themselves why there is a surge of electors suddenly voting for FN !   Voters interviewed are quick to say that they have been let down by President Hollande and the Socialist Government, on unemployment in particular.

Something else politicians do not want to hear is that electors also feel that the Leaders of FN have a better understanding of their problems !

There will be some surprises late on Sunday evening which will provoke a major re-think !  The National political scene will never be the same again !  In the future there will be three major Parties, not just two !  

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THE PARITY OF THE EURO HAS DECLINED !

The Euro has devalued by more than 10% during recent months.  Theoretically this should help Eurozone Exporters because their goods are becoming cheaper to buy !

In addition to this Mario Draghi of the European Central Bank has announced a Trillion EURO Investment Plan over the next 18 months !  He intends to purchase short term asset backed loans from Eurozone banks !  

This would enable banks to lend fresh money to Industry for investment.  That could reduce unemployment and increase the current Volume of Production.

Draghi hopes that in this way not only companies in the EUROZONE will benefit but others in the EU as well.   Will they escape from the current depression ?  

One must point out that the current interest rates for Loans have never been so low in living memory !

The uncertainty is whether Banks will make the loans and whether Industry is ready to make the investments to stimulate business ! 

Flooding World Financial Markets with an increased volume of EUROS and then permitting the parity of the EURO to decline, so that EUROZONE products are cheaper to buy, could become a dangerous gamble ! 

Once the parity of a currency declines, higher import costs and wage increases follow and it then becomes very difficult to reverse the trend !
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