If Mer has a not-so-hidden agenda, it is to make the French government more of a facilitator and less of a boss, the business role that officials have traditionally held and cherished.
Earlier this week, HP got a little boost from a Merrill Lynch (nyse: MER - news - people ) analyst who in a report said that HP's latest monochrome laser printers were priced less than Lexmark's, a fact that it says will help HP maintain its dominant market share in that segment.