Telos - Agence Intellectuelle

The Ghosts of Chernobyl

Kristian Feigelson — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:01:24 +0000

A major catastrophe of the 20th century, the 1986 nuclear accident has since been a subject of public discourse—both in the Soviet Union, then in the countries that emerged from it, and around the world. For more than twenty years, the story of the disaster remained taboo, if not distorted. Recent films, serving as a counterpoint to books, have transformed this unique event into a visual specter, drawing on the earliest visible traces of that era, as captured in the first Soviet television reports.

Armenia, a concrete test for strategic Europe

Mathieu Lemoine — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:52:49 +0000

Armenia is forcing France and the European Union to answer a simple question: what is a European policy of sovereignty worth when a small state, long dependent on Russia, is genuinely seeking to free itself from that dependence? Since the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan has not merely been asking for statements of support. It is looking for political guarantees, economic outlets, infrastructure, security tools, and a place in a regional order in which Moscow is no longer able to play the role of protector it long claimed for itself.

The French, Europe, and the West

Gérard Grunberg — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:03:51 +0000

An opinion poll by Tolula-Harris-Interactive provides a wealth of insight into how the French people view their place in the new international context. It is both surprising and reassuring to note that, on these fundamental issues—and despite their differences on domestic policy matters—strong majorities emerge.

AI and the Paris–London rivalry: a tale of two innovation hubs

Cédric Denis-Rémis, Jacques Lewiner — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:44:58 +0000

Artificial intelligence is attracting massive investments, with the global economic hierarchy at stake. In a Europe that is lagging behind, two models are emerging: that of the United Kingdom, a leader in startup funding and entrepreneurial innovation, and that of France, which is focusing on computing infrastructure and technological sovereignty. The French strategy makes sense, yet the entrepreneurial drive is just as crucial, and it is urgent to step up the pace.

The words of Putinism

Kristian Feigelson — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:34:29 +0000

Two books have just been published in quick succession to help us decipher the language of Putinism. Michel Niqueux, a Russian translator and Professor Emeritus of Russian Literature and Civilization at the University of Caen, offers a Vocabulaire du poutinisme (Vocabulary of Putinism, Éditions À l’Est de Brest-Litovsk, 2025). While this work builds on his broader reflections on Russia, it stands apart through its concise style aimed at the general public. The other publication is Louis Arcueil’s Au nom du père (In the Name of the Father, Éditions Tourgueneff, 2026). It places Putin’s words into a broader theoretical framework. In the tradition of new Russian despotism, this time Putin appears as a paradoxical figure, though not entirely unprecedented.

Why Russia never abides by agreements with its neighbors

Julien Arnoult — Tue, 19 May 2026 14:49:40 +0000

Since 2022 and the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, efforts to negotiate a truce, a ceasefire, an armistice, or a peace settlement have multiplied. Yet none of these initiatives can be taken seriously—not because peace is ever eternal, but because Russia assigns no value to it, owing to a dual political and historical dynamic. First, Russia respects only great powers and the agreements it enters into with them. It relentlessly seeks to be recognized as one itself. Second, it subjugates its weaker neighbors, whom it regards as prey to be devoured and whose sovereignty it fundamentally does not recognize. It systematically undermines their independence and violates any agreement it has signed as soon as any aspect turns unfavorable.

Protecting children’s minds: what the Digital Fairness Act must name

Chayma Drira — Tue, 12 May 2026 05:02:04 +0000

Attentional digital architectures deployed on minors can lead them to die. Europe has the cases, the reports, the legal texts. What it lacks is the doctrine that names the fundamental good these architectures impair. The Digital Fairness Act, which the Commission will table in the fourth quarter of 2026, is its last window to formulate it

Europe and the choice of the next UN Secretary-General

Reinhold Brender — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:41:17 +0000

The Secretary-General is the last universally mandated individual voice to demand that power answer to law. If that voice falls silent, it will not be the law that failed the world, but the states that failed the law.

“Ultimately, the Government Gets to Choose the Message it Wants to Convey”

Mark Kesselman — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 10:50:28 +0000

President Donald Trump’s daily barrage of tweets, posts, and interviews may appear contradictory and chaotic. However, all reflect Trump’s core motivations: to increase his own notoriety, status, power, and wealth; as well as to achieve his far-right ideological project. Attempts by Trump and his epigones to control popular and official narratives regarding this dual agenda aim to shape Americans’ perceptions and beliefs regarding Trump and the character of the United States will help reshape the underlying material reality.

Despotism in America

Mark Kesselman — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:37:40 +0000

As July 4, 2026, approaches, the United States will both celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and experience its gravest political crisis since the Civil War. In barely a year since Donald J. Trump regained power, he and his allies have brazenly violated centuries-old Constitutional dictates, laws, and norms with impunity. How could he have accomplished this unprecedented feat so quickly and with so little resistance?

Playing the long game: China’s space strategy

Fiona Wood — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:46:00 +0000

China stands at the forefront of a rapidly shifting global landscape shaped by Critical and Emerging Technologies (CETs) and by the accelerating commercialisation of space. As nations around the world compete for leadership in advanced technologies—from AI and quantum systems to autonomous vehicles and space platforms—China has articulated and deployed a comprehensive strategy designed to secure its position as a dominant space power.

The geopolitical risks of artificial intelligence

Eduardo Turrent Mena — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 09:33:00 +0000

The Cold War of the 21st century is not about fighting over territories, but about controlling the artificial intelligence systems that organize the global economy, security, and information.

Is this autocracy?

Marci Shore — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:06:00 +0000

“Is this autocracy?” one European journalist asked me a few days ago. “Can we use the word ‘fascism’?” asked another. I’ve been answering the latter question for most of a decade now; and my answer has been yes, we can—with the caveat that I would avoid fetishizing these categories. No historical situation is ever exactly the same as any other. At the present moment, “fascism” has felt most useful with respect to both my own country, the United States, and Russia. It would benefit, though from a modifier—“neo” for instance—to suggest the postmodern, “post-truth” version in distinction to 20th century forms.

“The very definition of tyranny”: Donald Trump’s attempted coup

Mark Kesselman — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:03:00 +0000

The flood of authoritarian measures—many, illegal or unconstitutional; others, while legal, nonetheless an assault on political norms of restraint and on progressive political, economic, and social reforms adopted since the New Deal—should not obscure their central aim: the accumulation of all powers that is, an attempted coup d’état to undermine American democracy.

Blame it on the trade deficit! Misconceptions about a complex macroeconomic concept

Didier Chambovey — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:46:00 +0000

The concept of a trade deficit is often negatively connoted and distorted by approximate, erroneous or contradictory conceptions. It is obviously complicated to explain to a wide public that imports are necessary for the proper functioning of an economy, that a trade deficit can result from a phase of prosperity and that tariffs can only effectively reduce a deficit at the cost of a recession.

Trump the Second: from the Imperial Presidency to the Imperiled Republic

Mark Kesselman — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 07:14:00 +0000

How dangerous will Donald M. Trump’s second term be? This article claims that he is seeking to undermine the fundamental elements of American government created by the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and poses the greatest threat to America’s republican system of government since the Civil War of 1861-65.

A President and customs duties: is a major trade conflict imminent?

Didier Chambovey — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 09:59:00 +0000

Candidate Trump promised during the 2024 campaign to increase tariffs by 60% on all Chinese products and by 10 to 20% on all products from the rest of the world. Should we expect major commercial conflicts? Or is the social networking fuss just tactical positioning? The potential consequences of the proposed policy provide some useful clues.

The significance of Trump's victory

Mark Kesselman — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 09:02:00 +0000

Any Democratic Party candidate would have faced a daunting challenge in 2024. Political scientists have found that the two most reliable indicators of an incumbent party’s chance for re-election are voters’ evaluation of whether the country is going in the right direction, and whether voters judge that they are better off today than in the past. Still, despite the substantial odds against a Harris victory, the election was extremely close.

Memorial: War of Memories

Kristian Feigelson — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:51:00 +0000

Memorial, Nobel Peace Prize 2022 shared with Ales Bialiatski, Belarusian human rights activist in prison, and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, has been witnessing since 1991 all the upheavals of civil society in Russia and its former empire.

Riots in France: anything new since 2005?

Olivier Galland — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 14:01:00 +0000

The violence that has erupted in several French communes following the tragic death of young Nahel last Tuesday has come as no surprise to those familiar with the situation. Unfortunately, the factors that were at the root of the 2005 riots are still present. And two novelties make the situation even more difficult to manage.