France

The inflation lesson we failed to learn from

It is a pity we hardly teach history anymore. Or economics. Let alone economic history. Because if we knew a bit about the past, we might have a better idea of our future. Especially as we are grappling with inflation. [...]

Putin’s French candidate, Marine Le Pen

As Putin’s soldiers fight in eastern Ukraine, he is also involved in a battle much further west. Tragically, that western battle may even go his way. [...]

A torpedo to European security

For Europe, AUKUS feels like the security outcome of a bull’s run through a China shop. Only China will be happy about the weakening of Europe – and Europe’s new divisions – that AUKUS has created. [...]

Liberté, égalité – and Covid

Countries have political rallies, of course. But when they take place in France, with its revolutionary history, they always appear more passionate. [...]

The end of a beautiful friendship

If at some point this crisis is no longer acute, then the Franco-German axis will feature only in history books – and the EU will not be able to find a replacement for it anytime soon. [...]

A fatal threat to the European project

The Paris terror attacks are not just a terrible tragedy for those killed or injured and their families. Last weekend’s events have severe political, strategic and economic implications, which could haunt France and the entire EU for years to come. [...]

Now for the next euro crisis

Now that the Greek banks have re-opened, the third bailout package is on the way and something vaguely resembling normalcy is returning to Greece, we can finally deal with other things again: the euro crisis, for example. [...]

France’s indecent proposal is an affront to policymaking

The eurozone has long been stuck in an economic cul-de-sac. The longer the malaise drags on, the more one gets the impression that it is in a political dead end, too. You cannot find reasonable policies anymore if this is how they are discussed. [...]

An acid test for French-German diplomacy

In the past, a French prime minister or president visiting Germany would have not only been greeted with military honours but also been treated with polite interest and respect, maybe even admiration. After 15 years of monetary union, which was meant to bring Europe’s nations closer together, only the diplomatic formalities of this past are left. [...]

France is Europe’s largest time bomb

Published in Business Spectator (Melbourne), 3 April 2014 By all measures, it was a defeat of historic proportions for President François Hollande and his Socialist Party. [...]