Electoral systems and immigration policies
Immigration has become one of the most salient issues in political debate. This column uses evidence from Italian municipal elections to highlight the role of
Global economy shows signs of steady but subdued growth: UN
The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 predicts that global economic output will grow by 2.7 percent this year. The global economy has shown resilience
Global cooperation shows resilience despite geopolitical headwinds
The 2026 Barometer indicates that the overall level of cooperation has largely been unchanged in recent years but the composition of cooperation appears to be
Dollar edges up ahead of US jobs data, Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s tariffs
Markets brace for US Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s tariffs. The dollar edged up on Friday as markets awaited a U.S. jobs report and braced
Gold pares losses from index rebalancing, steadies ahead of US jobs data
U.S. gold futures for February delivery firmed 0.4% to $4,477.70. Gold prices pared early losses on Friday, as investors weighed geopolitical against the ongoing rebalancing
Stocks bide time before jobs report, tariff ruling
Brent futures rose 0.8% to $62.49 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude advanced 0.8% to $58.25. Asian stocks drifted lower and the
Global economy set for 2.7% growth; trade tensions cloud outlook
Policymakers face an increasingly complex inflation landscape, where supply risks call for a more coordinated and forward-looking approach. Global economic output is forecast to grow
When the cloud meets a thirsty world
Throughout history, water has been the quiet engine behind progress: farmers irrigate fields to grow crops; industry needs it to produce goods and generate energy;
Inventories, diversification, and trade vulnerabilities
Reducing supply dependencies and vulnerabilities is now a cornerstone of economic policy. This column analyses how French manufacturing firms used inventories and diversified their country-specific
Demystifying trade patterns in a fragmenting world
It has been argued that ‘connector’ countries can benefit from trade tensions by bridging the gap between trade blocs. This column examines trade flows of
