Lionel Laurent

When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, cryptocurrency fans appeared to be trapped in a decadent fantasy. A batch of CryptoPunk NFTs (blockchain collectibles) had just been yanked from auction at Sotheby’s amid fading enthusiasm and a broader market sell-off. The seller tweeted Drake memes to…

The yellow and blue of Ukraine’s flag, which was banned during the Soviet era, has become a powerful global symbol after Russia’s invasion. It’s been beamed onto landmarks from New York to Sarajevo, splashed across social media, and waved during anti-war protests around the world. It has also…

The French call it retourner sa veste — to turn one’s coat to fit the changing political times. And with widespread international condemnation of Russia growing as its forces close in on Ukraine’s capital, there is a lot of coat-turning happening across Europe. Traditionally pro-Putin political…

Only a few days ago, European officials were feeling pretty good about their united position regarding Russia’s troops along the Ukraine border. But the quiet hope was that Moscow wouldn’t push them to the brink of actually having to deliver on their threat of sanctions. This week, as the dust…

One of the unintended consequences of Russia’s troop build-up on the border with Ukraine — which, according to NATO, has yet to be dialed back — has been to create a sense of unity among European Union members that are more often at each other’s throats on security issues. How long this will…

French care-home operator Orpea was once a bet on better retirement. In an aging society, demand for long-term care would only rise — and so would demand for long-term returns, hence why Canada’s top pension fund bought a 15% stake in 2013. It was going to be the virtuous circle of the “silver…

When Neil Young launched his boycott of Spotify over its hosting of popular podcaster Joe Rogan, whom the rocker accused of spreading Covid misinformation, the Polish startup FreeYourMusic sprang into action. It tweeted the hashtags #cancelspotify and #byespotify to draw attention to its main…

Emmanuel Macron has spent much of his presidency trying to get the European Union to speak the language of hard power in a more hostile world. A smorgasbord of EU defense plans, including a 5,000-strong deployment force by 2025, have accompanied visions of a bloc less dependent on the US and…

The head of the Bank for International Settlements, Agustin Carstens, recently set out a dark vision for our financial future, quoting Goethe’s “Faust” and claiming that the “soul” of money was at stake. He warned that the proliferation of unregulated cryptocurrencies and the spread of Big…

With only a few months to go before France votes, President Emmanuel Macron has taken out his check book to counter anger over post-Covid inflation. The negative ripple effects on financial markets suggest more than just one-off pain, though. Macron’s government will force utility Electricite de…