By calling for massive austerity, Marine Le Pen could represent a new pairing of nationalism with neoliberalism. But whether such a combination can work remains to be seen,
@laurentwarlouzet.bsky.social explains. bit.ly/4idm8oM

Only 32 African countries are rated by Fitch Ratings, Moody's, and S&P Global, and just three are investment grade. That leaves much of the continent outside the ratings system most investors rely on, notes Development Reimagined’s Hannah Wanjie Ryder. bit.ly/4rSUW1W

The case for including the RMB in diversification strategies deserves serious attention from both borrowers and the multilateral financial institutions that serve them, Justin Yifu Lin and Yan Wang argue. bit.ly/4e5rMab

When, in the name of moderation, centrists brand every sensible alternative as “nonsense,” they leave voters only one electable rebellion on offer, and the far right is happy to supply it. That is what is happening in France today, says @yanisvaroufakis.bsky.social. bit.ly/4yBFiut

To salvage his career-making thesis that history had ended, @frankfukuyama.bsky.social now asserts that we all misunderstood him, notes @cfr.org’s Benn Steil.

A decimated news industry would result in a less informed public and, perhaps more importantly for parasitical AI firms, cut off an important source of training data, notes @perfilcom.bsky.social’s Agustino Fontevecchia. bit.ly/4hQfpjk

Even though Donald Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants and minorities are monstrous, Ian Buruma advices @democrats.org not to take the bait. bit.ly/3TMCr2I

Germany's traditional mainstream parties need to shake things up, even if that means closing their doors and launching new parties designed to appeal to moderates in both the east and the west of the country, Helmut Anheier argues. bit.ly/4rUIi2n

Europe’s increasing bilateral deficit with China could be offset by higher exports of specialized products like airplanes and chip-making machinery to other markets, notes @danielpgross.bsky.social (@ceps.eu). bit.ly/4jKtr8K

The global financial architecture continues to create policies that depend on women’s labor without accounting for it. But Crystal Simeoni sees an opening for change at the IMF News- worldbank.bsky.social Annual Meetings in Bangkok. bit.ly/4y9SSnI

The Chinese "platform state" creates value not by directly producing everything, but by facilitating interactions and transactions among different parts of the ecosystem, explains Angela Zhang. bit.ly/4Ad9iOn

At today’s @projectsyndicate.bsky.social conversation, one figure: 100 billion euros. That's what Europe paid in six months of the conflict in Iran in additional fossil-fuel costs.
No more energy. No more investment. Just higher price for dependency in a world where any dependency can be weaponised.

When the US and China were locked in open confrontation, cooperation with either could look to the other like defection, note Prasad Ananthakrishnan and Vera Songwe. The current thaw thus gives Africa an opening to pursue energy partnerships with both. bit.ly/4zoY7Bf

Recent events demonstrate that NATO can indeed defend its airspace. But real deterrence would alleviate the need to shoot down any more drones in the first place, notes Agnia Grigas. bit.ly/4yAkTFX

The absence of a diplomatic safety valve between India and Pakistan poses acute risks to regional, even global, stability, notes @drshashitharoor.bsky.social. But the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough remain bleak. bit.ly/3VzzaUW

When it comes to development finance, what ultimately matters is whether investments leave behind stronger institutions, deeper expertise, more competitive firms, and a greater capacity to solve increasingly complex problems, notes Pepukaye Bardouille. bit.ly/4yaKq7Y

Writing 15 years ago, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social speculated about a future in which shared databases of medical information would allow epidemiologists and scientists to study and pinpoint sources and treatments of disease. Now, that day may be coming, thanks to AI. bit.ly/4ziBBtx

One unintended consequence of export controls has been a reduction in both US exports and Chinese imports, Shang-Jin Wei observes. bit.ly/4BbelzF

To address concerns about his age and give centrist voters permission to support the left, @lulaoficialbluesky.bsky.social should commit to serving only one more term and naming a successor, while also taking a stronger line on public safety, @muggah.bsky.social advises. bit.ly/4hKtkHw

What can we learn from Brazil's election, whose unappetizing choice of presidential candidates caused a record 33 million eligible voters to stay home? Andres Velasco sees three lessons. bit.ly/4hz68xq