What Can We Expect From the Next Season of “The Macron Show”?
Trying to predict the course of French politics is a fool’s errand. Let’s do it anyway.
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Julien Oeuillet, Staff Writer
Julien Oeuillet is a reporter from Belgium based in the Asia-Pacific region. He is active in the Anglosphere and the Francosphere (and has a love-hate relationship with both). He is primarily known for his work in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he covered civil conflicts in the Kivu region and their devastating impact on the population. In French, he worked for RTBF, the Belgian public broadcaster, directing tv documentaries and producing radio programs. In English, he wrote on world affairs for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Interpreter, and the Brussels Times. He has published six French-language books and lectured in universities and conferences across Europe. He also covered the Baltic states and made tv reports for the Lithuanian channel LRT.
All Posts
Melenchon Is Playing a Dangerous Game
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon is trying to upend French politics to become prime minister. But his gambit may just hand the presidency to the far-right.
The Fragility of Freight
The global shipping industry is constantly balancing on the edge of a ravine. It’s time we paid attention.
Frozen Ambitions
Antarctica has been kept peaceful for 60 years by international treaties, but Chinese ambitions on the frozen continent threaten to shatter this fragile peace.
Where Do France’s Presidential Candidates Stand on China?
Discerning the various candidates’ attitudes towards China is tricky, but they range from apologists for and opponents of the Chinese Communist Party.
Azar Gat on War
Military expert Azar Gat discusses the nature of war, its relationship to economics, and the risks of war in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
In Praise of Cold Weather
Why winter, snow, and rain are better than summer and sun.
The Solomon Islands Torn Between China and Taiwan
The sudden riots in this sleepy Pacific archipelago shows it’s not so easy for China to buy love.
How Seoul Engineered the Korean Wave
Korean pop culture didn’t get this popular by itself – it’s the deliberate result of a plan by the South Korean government to boost its entertainment industry and its soft power.
In Detention, the Ghosts Are the Least of the Horrors
Ghosts and ghouls lurk in the popular Taiwanese videogame, Detention. But it’s the dictatorship, and the ordinary humans who aid and abet it, that really chill the blood.
The Risk of Accidental War Is Highly Exaggerated
An excessive and irrational fear of accidental war based on a misunderstanding of historical events is dangerous, especially when it paralyzes people and prevents them from standing up for themselves and for what’s right.
Goodbye Merkel, and Good Riddance
Angela Merkel postured as a stateswoman on the world stage, but constantly shunted unpleasant work and unpleasant decisions to others, and shirked her responsibilities as a major European leader.
Common People Are Not Stupid
Elites habitually underestimate the working-class, assuming that we’re not interested in highbrow things. But we’re smarter than they think.
Marica Hase on Sex, Culture, and Surviving Breast Cancer
Japanese porn star Marica Hase is a strange mixture of pliability and determination, of softness and hardness. That’s probably why she’s so good at her job.
Can the West Flip Cambodia?
Though it often behaves like a vassal to China, Cambodia is growing increasingly uncomfortable with its overreliance on Beijing – and that may present the West with an opening.
The CCP Faces Its Greatest Challenge Yet: Apathetic Youths
Many young Chinese are eschewing the rat race in favor of “lying flat,” and the Party is worried.
Can France Help Check China in the Asia-Pacific?
France is an Asia-Pacific power, and will be instrumental in countering Chinese aggression in the region.
The Second Life of Vintage Japanese Singers
The old songs of iconic 1970s Japanese singers are enjoying an uncanny second life on YouTube.
How Australia’s Economy Became Addicted to China
As Canberra stands up to Beijing, it will have to contend with many Australians who have profited from keeping China happy.
Lithuania Sees a Kindred Spirit in Taiwan
Lithuania is drawing closer to Taiwan – and it doesn’t care if China doesn’t like it.