According to the latest “monthly report” published by INSEE, the rate growth of French economy should be 0.3% per quarter, during the first semester 2015.

This news has been hailed, for once, by the business press that sees here the beginning of an upturn and by the French government that justifies thereby the forecast sent to Brussels in order to defend its policy and the gradual return of France’s public deficit below 3%. However, this analysis of the situation is not convincing. First, this figure relies on tiny changes, a few thousandths of GDP. No statistical system is ...

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Il y a cette fois deux chiffres du jour au mois d’octobre : le commerce extérieur avec l’évolution de nos exportations, et la situation budgétaire, avec chaque catégorie de recettes et les dépenses correspondantes. Leur publication simultanée donne un éclairage révélateur sur les difficultés auxquelles est confrontée l’économie française et sur la pertinence des solutions qui ont été mises en oeuvre.  

Depuis deux ans, l’action conduite vise à rétablir la « compétitivité » des entreprises par des baisses d’impôts et de charges, pour leur permettre d ...

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The North Sea oil barrel, which is a benchmark in Europe, costs now 72$. Its price has continued to fall and has reached a new milestone with OPEC's decision to maintain its production at current levels, contrary to past practice where the offer was reduced to halt the fall in prices. This new situation calls for two observations.

First, this situation contradicts some theories about the depletion of hydrocarbon resources. Oil companies have long supported this approach, drawing on the concept of "peak oil", according to which production would peak and then decline after a certain date that the ...

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