Thomas Piketty: 'Europe must invent a social, economic and climate geopolitics'

The economist argues that the European Union should put its wealth at the service of social objectives rather than increasing its military resources.

Published on June 8, 2024, at 11:01 am (Paris) Thomas Piketty

Column

'The battle of Kharkiv has broken the red line that Europeans and Americans seemed to have set for themselves at the start of the war'

Kyiv's ban on the use of Western weapons against Russian territory was recently lifted by the Europeans and the Americans. This move was prompted by the new front opened up by Russia around the country's second-largest city, explains columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on June 7, 2024, at 4:00 am (Paris) Alain Frachon

Column

EU elections: 'The ceiling blocking Le Pen's ascent is gradually weakening, as the party refines its message'

While it is difficult to draw national conclusions from EU elections, the Rassemblement National's lead in voting intentions is a warning, which, if confirmed, is to be taken seriously, observes Le Monde columnist Françoise Fressoz.

Published on June 6, 2024, at 6:02 pm (Paris) Françoise Fressoz

Column

'With the last D-Day veterans goes a certain idea of American leadership'

From Ronald Reagan's flamboyant 1984 speech to Barack Obama's 2014 military retreat, each decade's D-Day commemorations mark the historical evolution of leadership, writes columnist Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on June 5, 2024, at 10:48 am (Paris), updated on June 5, 2024, at 6:22 pm Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'While the world's media hailed Trump's conviction, money flew to the Republican candidate's rescue'

Far from weakening him, his conviction by a New York court has strengthened the former president, with large fortunes backing him for economic, political, or anti-environmental reasons, writes New York correspondent Arnaud Leparmentier.

Published on June 4, 2024, at 3:35 am (Paris), updated on June 4, 2024, at 7:44 am Arnaud Leparmentier

Column

2024 US presidential election: 'The current electoral system encourages doubt and controversy over results'

Some states have signed a pact that would prevent a candidate from being declared the winner of the presidential election without a majority.

Published on June 2, 2024, at 5:00 pm (Paris) Corine Lesnes

Column

'The one-upmanship on immigration in Europe is based more on simplistic formulas than on workable ideas'

The rhetoric dominating the European election campaign is out of step with reality, observes Le Monde columnist Philippe Bernard.

Published on June 2, 2024, at 4:30 pm (Paris) Philippe Bernard

Column

'Will Emmanuel Macron be remembered as the French Gerhard Schröder?'

In 2017, like the German Chancellor in the early 2000s, the French president was driven by a desire for reform. But international, economic, health and social crises came in the way, writes Le Monde journalist Elsa Conesa.

Published on May 31, 2024, at 4:55 am (Paris), updated on May 31, 2024, at 10:17 am Elsa Conesa

Column

'Donald Trump would steer American democracy toward the so-called 'illiberal' type'

The Republican candidate, favored in the polls for the next presidential election, has prepared a plan named 'Project 2025' with his troops, which is designed to establish the president's absolute predominance, explains Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on May 30, 2024, at 7:56 pm (Paris), updated on May 30, 2024, at 9:12 pm Alain Frachon

Column

'Today, many Western experts are ready to admit that for Washington, the war in Ukraine is not existential'

The Biden administration's reluctance to commit further to enabling the Ukrainians to retaliate against the Russian offensive has led some of America's allies to doubt its reliability, writes Le Monde columnist Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on May 29, 2024, at 11:43 am (Paris) Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'ChatXiPT, the Chinese artificial intelligence that reflects Xi Jinping Thought'

The technology race launched by China could well come crashing down on the regime's totalitarianism, which bans any content that is suspected of ideological dissidence, writes Le Monde's Beijing correspondent Harold Thibault.

Published on May 29, 2024, at 1:14 am (Paris), updated on May 29, 2024, at 7:22 am Harold Thibault

Column

'Giorgia Meloni and her entourage have no agenda nor vision for culture'

Pitting the populace against the elite is not enough for Meloni's post-fascist Italy, which is using culture as a punching bag. 18 months of the Prime Minister's government has changed values, identity, and culture, writes Le Monde editor-in-chief Michel Guerrin.

Published on May 27, 2024, at 5:03 pm (Paris) Michel Guerrin

Column

Gaza: 'If Israel is incapable of proposing a transition, it is because it is categorically opposed to imagining a day after'

Since the last peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians over 10 years ago, everyone has resigned themselves to giving the Israelis a free hand. The results are visible today, analyzes Le Monde columnist Gilles Paris.

Published on May 22, 2024, at 12:30 pm (Paris) Gilles Paris

Column

'The far right hasn't become any less radical than it was in Jean-Marie Le Pen's day, but it's harder to fight'

The dividing line between the so-called 'yes' and 'no' sides of the 1992 and 2005 European referendums has become more porous, contributing to blurring the debate. This is to Marine Le Pen's advantage, writes Le Monde columnist Françoise Fressoz.

Published on May 20, 2024, at 6:00 pm (Paris) Françoise Fressoz

Column

'Cannes has always been composed of two sides – one aesthetic and the other political'

Faced with the #MeToo movement and accusations against French film industry figures, the Festival is seeking to both champion the voices of women and continue to presume accused men are innocent, writes Le Monde culture columnist Michel Guerrin.

Published on May 18, 2024, at 2:00 am (Paris) Michel Guerrin

Column

'There is no global conflict: Strategic rivalry coexists with economic cooperation'

Exploiting the anger provoked by Israel's bombardment of Gaza, Moscow and Beijing have hoped to rally as many countries as possible to their cause. However, the thesis of a world structured around the rivalry between this duo and the West is reductive, writes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on May 17, 2024, at 4:00 am (Paris) Alain Frachon

Column

'By procrastinating too long, Europe risks running out of options in Georgia'

Europe is closely watching as tension builds in Georgia, where the Parliament has just passed a widely criticized bill on 'foreign influence.' But no one seems to know how to avoid triggering what Ukraine has undergone, writes Le Monde columnist Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on May 15, 2024, at 4:58 pm (Paris) Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'Debt is the blind spot in the US presidential election'

The IMF is concerned about the impact of the current large US fiscal imbalance on global financial stability. But neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump seem ready to tackle the problem.

Published on May 13, 2024, at 11:25 pm (Paris), updated on May 14, 2024, at 8:40 am Stéphane Lauer

Column

Venice Biennale: 'Cutting off your ear won't make you Van Gogh'

In his column, Le Monde journalist Harry Bellet wonders what contemporary art says about the state of the world.

Published on May 12, 2024, at 5:15 am (Paris), updated on May 12, 2024, at 12:28 pm Harry Bellet

Column

Israel-Hamas war: 'What are we left with to envision a dynamic favorable to the creation of a Palestinian state?'

The American and Israeli leaders, Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu, no longer agree on anything, writes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on May 9, 2024, at 2:30 pm (Paris), updated on May 9, 2024, at 2:53 pm Alain Frachon

Column

Women are first victims of global warming

According to several scientific studies, heatwaves exacerbate gender inequalities in poor countries, reports Julien Bouissou in his column.

Published on May 8, 2024, at 10:37 am (Paris), updated on May 9, 2024, at 9:26 am Julien Bouissou

Column

EU: 'The major enlargement of 2004 marked the start of a long reunification process for the old continent'

The integration of 10 new countries – mostly from the former Eastern bloc – remains one of the European Union's most unexpected and developmental successes, writes columnist Philippe Ricard.

Published on May 8, 2024, at 3:11 am (Paris), updated on May 8, 2024, at 7:55 am Philippe Ricard

Column

The mysterious €21 billion hole in France's coffers

Was it a forecasting error or the inevitable consequence of tax cuts? Le Monde journalist Elsa Conesa writes about the controversy behind the size of France's public deficit.

Published on May 6, 2024, at 3:23 pm (Paris), updated on May 6, 2024, at 5:15 pm Elsa Conesa

Column

'Mona Lisa should be separated to save other paintings polluted by overtourism'

The museum's management wants to isolate the 'Mona Lisa' in a room with its own entrance, which could help rid the painting of overtourism, says Michel Guerrin, editor-in-chief of Le Monde.

Published on May 4, 2024, at 6:08 pm (Paris), updated on May 7, 2024, at 9:46 am Michel Guerrin

Column

'In the China-US battle over TikTok, bad faith is most shared'

Behind legitimate concerns about China's social media network lies American frustration about a success that could challenge their technological hegemony, writes Le Monde columnist Stéphane Lauer.

Published on May 2, 2024, at 5:06 am (Paris), updated on May 2, 2024, at 7:47 am Stéphane Lauer

Column

'The Fed's independence has not always been guaranteed – far from it'

Like Jerome Powell, who could not be reappointed if Donald Trump is re-elected, the US central bank has always been subjected to the power of the American president, writes New York correspondent Arnaud Leparmentier.

Published on May 1, 2024, at 10:53 pm (Paris), updated on May 2, 2024, at 7:28 am Arnaud Leparmentier

Column

European elections: Far right's Bardella 'has become the king of dodging'

Given the political clout the far-right Rassemblement National party claims to wield, its top candidate's evasiveness appears to be an admission of weakness, writes Le Monde columnist Françoise Fressoz.

Published on May 1, 2024, at 5:00 am (Paris) Françoise Fressoz

Column

'France is pathetically putting the brakes on the restitution of art to Africa which is inevitable'

The fact that the government and elected representatives are unable to reach a consensus on large restitutions raises questions about the future of a framework bill designed to facilitate such transfers, writes columnist Michel Guerrin.

Published on April 28, 2024, at 4:00 pm (Paris) Michel Guerrin

Column

'A Trump victory may prove to be a powerful factor in dividing Europe'

Should he win the 2024 US election, the biggest danger for the 27 member states would lie in Donald Trump's approach to the war between Ukraine and Russia, writes Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on April 24, 2024, at 9:30 am (Paris) Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'In the case of TikTok, the US risks losing some of its moral high ground'

The dispute between Beijing and Washington over control of the social media network, which is used by 170 million Americans, marks a further step back from the concept of an 'open' internet, writes Le Monde's Beijing correspondent Harold Thibault.

Published on April 23, 2024, at 11:29 am (Paris) Harold Thibault

Column

'France would do well to see foreign students as agents of influence rather than potential illegal immigrants'

Welcoming foreign students should be seen by France as an instrument of attractiveness and influence, not as a gateway to illegal immigration, points out Le Monde columnist Philippe Bernard.

Published on April 21, 2024, at 3:10 am (Paris), updated on April 21, 2024, at 11:48 am Philippe Bernard

Column

'The two pillars of Iran's theocracy, nuclear power and the Revolutionary Guards, have their origins in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s'

Since the time of its inception in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been living with war, writes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on April 19, 2024, at 10:41 am (Paris), updated on April 19, 2024, at 10:44 am Alain Frachon

Column

'The war in Ukraine has, in practice, thrown Russia into China's arms'

In the global balance of power, Russia's pivot towards China and its possible integration into a 'Pax Sinica' have prompted Washington to ask Europeans to put pressure on Beijing, writes Le Monde columnist Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on April 17, 2024, at 11:00 am (Paris) Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'Only an integrated capital market will give the EU the means to achieve its ambitions'

The 27 EU member states must use the April 17 competitiveness summit to push for the completion of this massive undertaking, essential for achieving the strategic autonomy Europe seeks, explains Le Monde columnist Stéphane Lauer.

Published on April 16, 2024, at 4:11 am (Paris), updated on April 16, 2024, at 8:10 am Stéphane Lauer

Column

'To recall the destructive spiral of national preference in the 1930s is to learn the lessons from our history'

While today is in many ways different from 1930s France, the temptation to point the finger at foreigners as the cause of all our problems is common to both eras, writes columnist Philippe Bernard.

Published on April 12, 2024, at 2:00 pm (Paris) Philippe Bernard

Column

'How long can this state of pre-war between Iran and Israel last?'

The Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy's consular building in Damascus on April 1 marked the end of the proxy confrontation between Israel and Iran, and the beginning of a direct confrontation between the two countries, writes columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on April 11, 2024, at 3:49 pm (Paris) Alain Frachon

Column

'Young women are increasingly progressive, while men of the same age are leaning conservative'

Several studies have revealed a potentially dramatic and ubiquitous gap between genders, notes Le Monde journalist Marie Charrel.

Published on April 5, 2024, at 7:00 pm (Paris) Marie Charrel

Column

The new dynamics taking shape within NATO

Within the Alliance, which celebrates its 75th year on April 4, American policy dysfunctions are taking their toll. European countries try to offset the uncertainty in US intentions with creativity, writes columnist Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on April 4, 2024, at 5:30 am (Paris) Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'China has developed such a productive apparatus that its primary outlet necessarily lies in exports'

Beijing is once again setting the pace with its new economic policy, focusing on electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar panels, as explained by Alain Frachon, a columnist for 'Le Monde.'

Published on April 4, 2024, at 4:00 am (Paris) Alain Frachon

Column

'Jamaica is one of the only countries to have halved its debt, in just 10 years'

The Caribbean island country has relied on two pillars to reduce its public debt: the introduction of a tax law and an increase of its budget revenues.

Published on April 3, 2024, at 11:18 am (Paris) Julien Bouissou

Column

'The Netanyahu-Biden conflict is indicative of the unease that has crept into Israeli-American relations'

The US's abstention from a UN vote on Monday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza is the latest manifestation of the change in this old relationship, writes columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on March 28, 2024, at 12:00 pm (Paris) Alain Frachon

Column

'By sponsoring coups in the Sahel, Russia has acquired a new hold on Europe: Emigration'

In Niger, Vladimir Putin now has a new proxy in an emigration-source country in the Sahel region, observes columnist Philippe Bernard.

Published on March 28, 2024, at 1:00 am (Paris), updated on April 22, 2024, at 10:55 am Philippe Bernard

Column

'Jihadist groups are totally indifferent to the new course of history that began with Putin's invasion of Ukraine'

As shown by the attack carried out in Moscow by the Islamic State Khorasan Province organization, jihadist groups pay no heed to the fracture lines in a changing world order, writes Le Monde columnist Gilles Paris.

Published on March 27, 2024, at 4:06 pm (Paris), updated on March 27, 2024, at 11:14 pm Gilles Paris

Column

'TikTok's misfortunes in the US say a lot about the clash between Beijing and Washington'

The vote in the US Congress on a law threatening to ban the social network illustrates the growing mistrust toward Chinese digital giants suspected of facilitating propaganda and espionage, writes columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on March 22, 2024, at 6:00 pm (Paris) Alain Frachon

Column

'Will China really become the world's leading economic power?'

Economists are less and less certain that the Chinese economy can overtake the US, despite the promises of the Chinese Communist Party.

Published on March 21, 2024, at 1:39 am (Paris), updated on March 21, 2024, at 8:19 am Harold Thibault

Column

'The entire architecture of global governance is called into question'

The US's refusal to push Israel not to intervene in Rafah has shattered the fragile consensus on condemning Russia for its war in Ukraine, writes Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on March 20, 2024, at 11:32 am (Paris) Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'Can Joe Biden make a surprise comeback like Harry S. Truman did in 1948?'

Biden's powerful State of the Union address to Congress on March 7 may be the start of his resurgence against Trump to win the next presidential election, explains Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on March 14, 2024, at 11:32 am (Paris), updated on March 14, 2024, at 11:57 am Alain Frachon

Column

'No-one can predict how violent the debate surrounding end of life might get in France'

At a time when France is consolidating certain rights, such as abortion, and trying to open up new ones, such as assisted dying, the contribution by citizens is proving invaluable in framing the debates, writes Le Monde columnist Françoise Fressoz.

Published on March 12, 2024, at 12:14 pm (Paris) Françoise Fressoz

Column

'Nuclear power has gained more acceptance as the trauma of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters fades'

The fight against climate change and the shutdown of Russian gas pipelines following the invasion of Ukraine have provided arguments to supportive countries, starting with France, notes "Le Monde" journalist Jean-Michel Bezat in his column.

Published on March 12, 2024, at 3:30 am (Paris) Jean-Michel Bezat

Column

'The 96th Oscars ceremony will attempt to make us believe in the resurrection of Hollywood'

The success of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer,' which generated record profits and racked up 21 nominations at the Oscars, is an exception in a film industry now dominated by streaming platforms, observes Le Monde's TV columnist Thomas Sotinel.

Published on March 10, 2024, at 12:34 pm (Paris), updated on March 10, 2024, at 2:32 pm Thomas Sotinel

Column

'Macron has made a specialty of being right or, more often than not, wrong, alone against the world'

Le Monde's Philippe Ricard questions whether the French president was wrong to precipitate the debate on a Western military presence within besieged Ukraine.

Published on March 7, 2024, at 6:39 pm (Paris) Philippe Ricard

Column

'The debate over sending troops to Ukraine reveals profound differences in allies' approach to warfare'

The stalemate in the Ukrainian conflict and President Macron's call for a 'strategic surge' in dealing with Russia is forcing Westerners, united in their goal of defeating Moscow, to confront their cultural differences over the role each should play, writes Le Monde columnist Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on March 6, 2024, at 11:14 am (Paris), updated on April 2, 2024, at 2:54 pm Sylvie Kauffmann

Column

'Every day, decisions demonstrate the disintegration of the American spirit'

Whether it's the environment, abortion, immigration or digital technology, policies and legislation are increasingly diverging among American states, observes Corine Lesnes, Le Monde's San Francisco correspondent.

Published on March 6, 2024, at 2:30 am (Paris), updated on March 6, 2024, at 7:53 am Corine Lesnes

Column

'In Europe, the environmental transition is hanging in the balance'

Under pressure from the farming world and industries facing competition from China and the US, European leaders are scaling back their climate ambitions, writes Le Monde journalist Marie Charrel.

Published on March 2, 2024, at 12:14 am (Paris) Marie Charrel

Column

'NATO would not hold up well to a second Trump term'

The favorite for the Republican nomination for presidential candidate is just as determined to abandon Ukraine to its fate today as Charles Lindbergh was to oppose US involvement against Hitler in 1940, writes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on March 1, 2024, at 4:39 pm (Paris), updated on March 1, 2024, at 4:47 pm Alain Frachon

Column

'On all fronts, Biden risks paying a high price for his choices in the current Middle East crisis'

Benjamin Netanyahu's total opposition to the prospect of a Palestinian state is not good news for the Democratic president, who can't hope to be re-elected without winning states like Michigan in November, with its large community sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza.

Published on February 28, 2024, at 11:09 am (Paris), updated on February 28, 2024, at 3:21 pm Gilles Paris

Column

'The sea, a place without borders, is under threat from geopolitical fragmentation'

From the Bab al-Mandab Strait, under fire from the Houthi rebels, to the Black Sea, the China Sea and the North Sea, international waters will play a key role in the new global geopolitics, according to columnist Julien Bouissou.

Published on February 28, 2024, at 2:00 am (Paris) Julien Bouissou

Column

'How far can we go in erasing works and artists in the name of a fair fight against sexual violence?'

It's hard to come up with a nuanced answer, given the very different cases involving creators, writes Le Monde columnist Michel Guerrin.

Published on February 25, 2024, at 2:30 am (Paris) Michel Guerrin

Column

'France's elites quite widely share a Russophile political sentiment'

Vladimir Putin's regime has long exerted a seductive appeal in France, based on a shared nostalgia for past greatness and an obsession with anti-Americanism, writes Le Monde columnist Alain Frachon.

Published on February 22, 2024, at 12:46 pm (Paris) Alain Frachon

Column

'Western outrage at Navalny's death inevitably leads to the painful question: Punish Putin, yes, but how?'

Frustrated by the too-slow impact of sanctions against Russia and divided over the issue of sequestering frozen Russian assets, Ukraine's allies are reluctant to realize that the real punishment for the Kremlin would be military defeat, writes Sylvie Kauffmann.

Published on February 21, 2024, at 3:02 pm (Paris), updated on February 21, 2024, at 4:54 pm Sylvie Kauffmann