@laurentfranckx.bsky.social
Environmental and transport economist. Civil servant. All posts are personal
Reposted
NATO has invoked Article 5, the common defense tenet of the alliance, one time:
When the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
When the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
Trump: "I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives ... I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM."
January 7, 2026 at 5:23 PM
NATO has invoked Article 5, the common defense tenet of the alliance, one time:
When the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
When the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
En anders is er geen vertraging of wa?
January 7, 2026 at 5:37 PM
En anders is er geen vertraging of wa?
Reposted
That major geopolitical events don’t move oil prices that much anymore (euphemism: ‘geopolitical premium’) is the real geopolitical event.
See also this report of the Eurasia Group on the energy strategies of
China v. US:
www.eurasiagroup.net/live-post/ri...
See also this report of the Eurasia Group on the energy strategies of
China v. US:
www.eurasiagroup.net/live-post/ri...
Overpowered: Eurasia Group's #2 Top Risk of 2026
China is betting on electrons. The United States is betting on molecules. This year, we’ll start to see who was right.
www.eurasiagroup.net
January 7, 2026 at 2:55 PM
That major geopolitical events don’t move oil prices that much anymore (euphemism: ‘geopolitical premium’) is the real geopolitical event.
See also this report of the Eurasia Group on the energy strategies of
China v. US:
www.eurasiagroup.net/live-post/ri...
See also this report of the Eurasia Group on the energy strategies of
China v. US:
www.eurasiagroup.net/live-post/ri...
Reposted
It's not exactly reassuring that leading Democrats are willing to sell out the world if they think this can help them win the elections on domestic issues.
I have nothing but contempt for this kind of thinking or political advocacy; anyone who joins this man's campaign is taking up with the opposition.
He waves no battle standard, his white flag is ironed, clean, unimprovised, and ready to be unfurled.
He waves no battle standard, his white flag is ironed, clean, unimprovised, and ready to be unfurled.
January 7, 2026 at 3:11 PM
It's not exactly reassuring that leading Democrats are willing to sell out the world if they think this can help them win the elections on domestic issues.
"Les traductions, c'est comme les femmes, soit elles sont belles, soit elles sont fidèles"
January 7, 2026 at 3:05 PM
"Les traductions, c'est comme les femmes, soit elles sont belles, soit elles sont fidèles"
No need to say, this is utter and complete bollocks.
January 7, 2026 at 3:00 PM
No need to say, this is utter and complete bollocks.
This is a really important point. Moreover, a focus on fuel tax receipts alone misses that, when taxes on the purchase or possession of cars depend on the car's CO2 emissions, electrification will also lead to decreased revenues from those taxes.
Interesting new paper by Bessie Noll, @tobiasschmidt.bsky.social, and Florian Egli.
“As electric vehicle adoption accelerates globally, fuel tax revenues decline, exposing government budgets without a proposed replacement tax on electric vehicles.”
“As electric vehicle adoption accelerates globally, fuel tax revenues decline, exposing government budgets without a proposed replacement tax on electric vehicles.”
The electric vehicle transition and vanishing fuel tax revenues - Nature Sustainability
As electric vehicle adoption rises, governments face shrinking fuel tax revenues without clear replacement policies. This study estimates this revenue loss across 168 countries and finds that lower-in...
www.nature.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:08 PM
This is a really important point. Moreover, a focus on fuel tax receipts alone misses that, when taxes on the purchase or possession of cars depend on the car's CO2 emissions, electrification will also lead to decreased revenues from those taxes.
Reposted
Interesting new paper by Bessie Noll, @tobiasschmidt.bsky.social, and Florian Egli.
“As electric vehicle adoption accelerates globally, fuel tax revenues decline, exposing government budgets without a proposed replacement tax on electric vehicles.”
“As electric vehicle adoption accelerates globally, fuel tax revenues decline, exposing government budgets without a proposed replacement tax on electric vehicles.”
The electric vehicle transition and vanishing fuel tax revenues - Nature Sustainability
As electric vehicle adoption rises, governments face shrinking fuel tax revenues without clear replacement policies. This study estimates this revenue loss across 168 countries and finds that lower-in...
www.nature.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Interesting new paper by Bessie Noll, @tobiasschmidt.bsky.social, and Florian Egli.
“As electric vehicle adoption accelerates globally, fuel tax revenues decline, exposing government budgets without a proposed replacement tax on electric vehicles.”
“As electric vehicle adoption accelerates globally, fuel tax revenues decline, exposing government budgets without a proposed replacement tax on electric vehicles.”
Well, actually, Hitler and Chavez also got free soon after their failed coups, and then they went back into politics, and we know that nothing went wrong after that.
It's funny how commentators will go "in any functional country Trump would've faced severe consequences for January 6th" and it's like ummm no, also in the dysfunctional ones. It's literally only in America where a failed coup attempt doesn't automatically result in "jail" or "a bullet in the head"
January 7, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Well, actually, Hitler and Chavez also got free soon after their failed coups, and then they went back into politics, and we know that nothing went wrong after that.
Reposted
In 2019, Mark Lutter—whose nonprofit received $$$ from the Thiel-backed Emergent Ventures in 2018—said, “we’re putting out a white paper looking at Venezuela…assuming this transfer of power does go thru … And if you u can get charter cities to be part of the conversation,” there is “opportunity…” 1/
The team trying to end poverty by founding well-governed 'charter' cities
"China looked & said, 'Wait, Hong Kong's rich. Taiwan's rich. We're all Chinese. Why are they doing well and we're starving?'"
80000hours.org
December 23, 2025 at 6:56 PM
In 2019, Mark Lutter—whose nonprofit received $$$ from the Thiel-backed Emergent Ventures in 2018—said, “we’re putting out a white paper looking at Venezuela…assuming this transfer of power does go thru … And if you u can get charter cities to be part of the conversation,” there is “opportunity…” 1/
Ik heb nu collega's die jonger zijn dan mijn pullover.
January 7, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Ik heb nu collega's die jonger zijn dan mijn pullover.
Reposted
If you thought Elon Musk's “Grok” chatbot couldn't get worse, read my latest article: Grok isn't just undressing women, it's now putting swastika bikinis on them. One woman who was targeted is a recently-deceased Holocaust survivor.
BREAKING: X’s chatbot Grok isn’t just making AI porn deepfakes, it’s now making Nazi AI porn deepfakes, undressing women and showing them wearing “swastika bikinis”. Many of these women are Jewish, including a recently deceased Holocaust survivor.
Elon Musk’s “Grok” is undressing women and showing them in swastika bikinis
One woman targeted is a Jewish Holocaust survivor
decoherence.media
January 7, 2026 at 7:45 AM
If you thought Elon Musk's “Grok” chatbot couldn't get worse, read my latest article: Grok isn't just undressing women, it's now putting swastika bikinis on them. One woman who was targeted is a recently-deceased Holocaust survivor.
De beginjaren van Ruben V G
January 6, 2026 at 9:27 PM
De beginjaren van Ruben V G
Reposted
53 Danish soldiers died in the US-led war in Afghanistan
TRUMP AND HIS TEAM ARE DISCUSSING A RANGE OF OPTIONS FOR ACQUIRING GREENLAND AND 'UTILIZING THE US MILITARY IS ALWAYS AN OPTION'- WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT
January 6, 2026 at 8:57 PM
53 Danish soldiers died in the US-led war in Afghanistan
Well, maybe the "otherwise" is the whole point.
Polish PM Tusk on Greenland:
No-one will take seriously a weak and divided Europe: neither enemy nor ally.
One for all, and all for one.
Otherwise, we are finished.
No-one will take seriously a weak and divided Europe: neither enemy nor ally.
One for all, and all for one.
Otherwise, we are finished.
January 6, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Well, maybe the "otherwise" is the whole point.
Reposted
Few thoughts on the Greenland saga, summarized in a short thread. Some of these points have already sparked debate on X, but after Miller’s speech, I am even more convinced. 🧵Thread
1/ First and foremost, Denmark is not only a member of the EU, but also a founding member of NATO.
1/ First and foremost, Denmark is not only a member of the EU, but also a founding member of NATO.
January 6, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Few thoughts on the Greenland saga, summarized in a short thread. Some of these points have already sparked debate on X, but after Miller’s speech, I am even more convinced. 🧵Thread
1/ First and foremost, Denmark is not only a member of the EU, but also a founding member of NATO.
1/ First and foremost, Denmark is not only a member of the EU, but also a founding member of NATO.
Reposted
There we go. That there’s a headline.
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
www.ft.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:08 PM
There we go. That there’s a headline.
OMG and I had thought that Trump was now running the country and that it had become a true liberal democracy 🙃
Venezuela’s government is arresting journalists and sending paramilitary forces to suppress anyone who is too happy about Maduro's removal
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... via @FT
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... via @FT
Venezuela launches wave of repression after US seizure of Nicolás Maduro
Armed militias patrol the streets and journalists arrested as government crackdown on dissent widens
giftarticle.ft.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:32 PM
OMG and I had thought that Trump was now running the country and that it had become a true liberal democracy 🙃
Just checked in with a paper submitted three months ago. Still no reviewers assigned. One of the reasons why it's good that publications (or the absence of it) do not affect whether I will continue to contribute to the mortgage.
January 6, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Just checked in with a paper submitted three months ago. Still no reviewers assigned. One of the reasons why it's good that publications (or the absence of it) do not affect whether I will continue to contribute to the mortgage.
Reposted
Venezuela needs $183bn to revive oil output, Rystad says #energysky
Venezuela needs $183bn to revive oil output, Rystad says
Rystad Energy estimates $30-35bn of early foreign capital is needed to make Venezuela oil recovery viable.
dlvr.it
January 6, 2026 at 8:02 AM
Venezuela needs $183bn to revive oil output, Rystad says #energysky
Reposted
Il faut écouter le projet de ces gens très sérieusement, comme nous aurions dû écouter le projet de Poutine très sérieusement en 2020.
Le fascisme a besoin d'annoncer son projet à l'avance, c'est une mécanique clé de son fonctionnement. Il n'y a aucune surprise, tout est devant nos yeux.
Le fascisme a besoin d'annoncer son projet à l'avance, c'est une mécanique clé de son fonctionnement. Il n'y a aucune surprise, tout est devant nos yeux.
TAPPER: Can you rule out the US is going to take Greenland by force?
MILLER: Greenland should be part of the US. By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? The US is the power of NATO
T: So force is on the table?
M: Nobody is gonna fight the US militarily over future of Greenland
MILLER: Greenland should be part of the US. By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? The US is the power of NATO
T: So force is on the table?
M: Nobody is gonna fight the US militarily over future of Greenland
January 6, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Il faut écouter le projet de ces gens très sérieusement, comme nous aurions dû écouter le projet de Poutine très sérieusement en 2020.
Le fascisme a besoin d'annoncer son projet à l'avance, c'est une mécanique clé de son fonctionnement. Il n'y a aucune surprise, tout est devant nos yeux.
Le fascisme a besoin d'annoncer son projet à l'avance, c'est une mécanique clé de son fonctionnement. Il n'y a aucune surprise, tout est devant nos yeux.
Courage under fire 🙃
German minister: protection of Greenland will be discussed within NATO if needed reut.rs/4bkuk3z
German minister: protection of Greenland will be discussed within NATO if needed
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that Greenland belonged to Denmark and that the NATO alliance could discuss strengthening its protection if necessary.
reut.rs
January 5, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Courage under fire 🙃