Stanley Pignal
@spignal.bsky.social
Charlemagne columnist & Brussels bureau chief, The Economist.
Past stints in Paris, Mumbai, London. Français. Personal feed.
Bio 👇. https://medium.com/@spignal/stanley-pignal-bio-2acd9b705ceb
Charlemagne@economist.com
Past stints in Paris, Mumbai, London. Français. Personal feed.
Bio 👇. https://medium.com/@spignal/stanley-pignal-bio-2acd9b705ceb
Charlemagne@economist.com
the trend of rapid decline in some countries and continued increases in others doesn't change if you look at per capita (given broadly stable populations).
everyone accepts rich world needs to do a lot -- the point is, they are doing it!
everyone accepts rich world needs to do a lot -- the point is, they are doing it!
November 10, 2025 at 9:10 AM
the trend of rapid decline in some countries and continued increases in others doesn't change if you look at per capita (given broadly stable populations).
everyone accepts rich world needs to do a lot -- the point is, they are doing it!
everyone accepts rich world needs to do a lot -- the point is, they are doing it!
COP30 boss: "Rich countries have lost enthusiasm for tackling climate crisis" and praises China.
Chinese renewables are great, but you have to be disconnected from reality to miss the wrenching change EU in particular has signed up to & China's CO2 trajectory.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Chinese renewables are great, but you have to be disconnected from reality to miss the wrenching change EU in particular has signed up to & China's CO2 trajectory.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
November 10, 2025 at 8:10 AM
COP30 boss: "Rich countries have lost enthusiasm for tackling climate crisis" and praises China.
Chinese renewables are great, but you have to be disconnected from reality to miss the wrenching change EU in particular has signed up to & China's CO2 trajectory.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Chinese renewables are great, but you have to be disconnected from reality to miss the wrenching change EU in particular has signed up to & China's CO2 trajectory.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
It's the annual "Night where Brexit never happened*" in Brussels. Geoff Meade and Jacki Davis in fine form at the Press Revue. 🇬🇧🇪🇺
*Courtesy @sbeverts.bsky.social
*Courtesy @sbeverts.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM
It's the annual "Night where Brexit never happened*" in Brussels. Geoff Meade and Jacki Davis in fine form at the Press Revue. 🇬🇧🇪🇺
*Courtesy @sbeverts.bsky.social
*Courtesy @sbeverts.bsky.social
My current and future reading line-up, in order. If my calculations are correct, this will take me to the end of the year.
November 7, 2025 at 10:03 AM
My current and future reading line-up, in order. If my calculations are correct, this will take me to the end of the year.
I have been meaning to read this for about 25 years. Alas it seems more relevant than ever. See you in 726 pages!
November 6, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I have been meaning to read this for about 25 years. Alas it seems more relevant than ever. See you in 726 pages!
FIFA awarding a "peace prize" to Trump would be so absolutely on-brand, a truly genius innovation.
November 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM
FIFA awarding a "peace prize" to Trump would be so absolutely on-brand, a truly genius innovation.
As a result of the US shutdown curtailing services, American soldiers garrisoned in Germany are being advised to visit local foodbanks.
home.army.mil/bavaria/abou...
home.army.mil/bavaria/abou...
November 5, 2025 at 12:04 PM
As a result of the US shutdown curtailing services, American soldiers garrisoned in Germany are being advised to visit local foodbanks.
home.army.mil/bavaria/abou...
home.army.mil/bavaria/abou...
Ok thanks, fortune cookie
October 30, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Ok thanks, fortune cookie
I've deleted the post below as some commenters pointed out that it was a (rather on-the-nose) satire. Sorry.
(I prefer to delete with screenshot attached rather than comment on the original, to prevent it from keep being spread while also logging the original post)
(I prefer to delete with screenshot attached rather than comment on the original, to prevent it from keep being spread while also logging the original post)
October 27, 2025 at 8:43 PM
I've deleted the post below as some commenters pointed out that it was a (rather on-the-nose) satire. Sorry.
(I prefer to delete with screenshot attached rather than comment on the original, to prevent it from keep being spread while also logging the original post)
(I prefer to delete with screenshot attached rather than comment on the original, to prevent it from keep being spread while also logging the original post)
It had been several days since a French political crisis, so thank god the Socialists have come back with threats to blow up the government next week
October 24, 2025 at 12:15 PM
It had been several days since a French political crisis, so thank god the Socialists have come back with threats to blow up the government next week
Fairly typical EU single-market glitch.
If you want to change your Spotify from one EU country to the next (which you need to do for some features), you have to show a bank account *from that new country*.
This ignores the fact it should be possible to live in one EU country and bank in another!
If you want to change your Spotify from one EU country to the next (which you need to do for some features), you have to show a bank account *from that new country*.
This ignores the fact it should be possible to live in one EU country and bank in another!
October 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Fairly typical EU single-market glitch.
If you want to change your Spotify from one EU country to the next (which you need to do for some features), you have to show a bank account *from that new country*.
This ignores the fact it should be possible to live in one EU country and bank in another!
If you want to change your Spotify from one EU country to the next (which you need to do for some features), you have to show a bank account *from that new country*.
This ignores the fact it should be possible to live in one EU country and bank in another!
tell you who else needs to show their ID when they want to buy a house, open a bank account, enroll kids in school etc... it's not just Indians. They just don't need three phone bills and a family portrait to do it.
October 14, 2025 at 11:43 AM
tell you who else needs to show their ID when they want to buy a house, open a bank account, enroll kids in school etc... it's not just Indians. They just don't need three phone bills and a family portrait to do it.
Betting markets see a 57% chance of Macron calling new legislative elections within a couple of weeks, and 73% chance by the end of the year.
They also have a 1/5 chance of Macron resigning this month, and 20% by next summer.
polymarket.com/event/french...
polymarket.com/event/macron...
They also have a 1/5 chance of Macron resigning this month, and 20% by next summer.
polymarket.com/event/french...
polymarket.com/event/macron...
October 7, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Betting markets see a 57% chance of Macron calling new legislative elections within a couple of weeks, and 73% chance by the end of the year.
They also have a 1/5 chance of Macron resigning this month, and 20% by next summer.
polymarket.com/event/french...
polymarket.com/event/macron...
They also have a 1/5 chance of Macron resigning this month, and 20% by next summer.
polymarket.com/event/french...
polymarket.com/event/macron...
Bloody hell. Lecornu out.
October 6, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Bloody hell. Lecornu out.
John D. Rockefeller was the Sam Bankman-Fried of his era – driven by the make-money-to-give-money mantra that is now known as "effective altruism".
He certainly mastered the "effective" bit of making money.
(From Chernow's biography)
He certainly mastered the "effective" bit of making money.
(From Chernow's biography)
October 4, 2025 at 6:58 AM
John D. Rockefeller was the Sam Bankman-Fried of his era – driven by the make-money-to-give-money mantra that is now known as "effective altruism".
He certainly mastered the "effective" bit of making money.
(From Chernow's biography)
He certainly mastered the "effective" bit of making money.
(From Chernow's biography)
A parable of European business: Nokia ad from 2005 where they release a flip-phone with no touch screen but brand it a "Smart Phone". That ought to do the trick.
October 3, 2025 at 9:43 AM
A parable of European business: Nokia ad from 2005 where they release a flip-phone with no touch screen but brand it a "Smart Phone". That ought to do the trick.
God this chart should haunt every French president from Chirac onwards, very much including Macron.
Where did all the money go?
Even accepting Germany should have run looser fiscal policy, it's still shocking to see French profligacy -- being broke makes "strategic autonomy" a distant dream.
Where did all the money go?
Even accepting Germany should have run looser fiscal policy, it's still shocking to see French profligacy -- being broke makes "strategic autonomy" a distant dream.
October 3, 2025 at 7:39 AM
God this chart should haunt every French president from Chirac onwards, very much including Macron.
Where did all the money go?
Even accepting Germany should have run looser fiscal policy, it's still shocking to see French profligacy -- being broke makes "strategic autonomy" a distant dream.
Where did all the money go?
Even accepting Germany should have run looser fiscal policy, it's still shocking to see French profligacy -- being broke makes "strategic autonomy" a distant dream.
a long, proud, unrelenting history of The Economist adoration of all thing airships. We are like the Sputnik News of the hot-air lobby, I tell you.
(I love these pieces)
(I love these pieces)
October 2, 2025 at 6:15 AM
a long, proud, unrelenting history of The Economist adoration of all thing airships. We are like the Sputnik News of the hot-air lobby, I tell you.
(I love these pieces)
(I love these pieces)
You have to love a Dutch polling chart. (From Politico's excellent poll or polls)
September 30, 2025 at 7:52 AM
You have to love a Dutch polling chart. (From Politico's excellent poll or polls)
My current reading roster. I like to read more than one book at once, though generally only one novel. I also think it's not worth doing if you don't have time to do a few pages of each book every day.
James Hilton wrote one of my favourite novels, Lost Horizon, and Random Harvest is also great.
James Hilton wrote one of my favourite novels, Lost Horizon, and Random Harvest is also great.
September 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
My current reading roster. I like to read more than one book at once, though generally only one novel. I also think it's not worth doing if you don't have time to do a few pages of each book every day.
James Hilton wrote one of my favourite novels, Lost Horizon, and Random Harvest is also great.
James Hilton wrote one of my favourite novels, Lost Horizon, and Random Harvest is also great.
The Internationale, in the key of G major
September 21, 2025 at 7:33 PM
The Internationale, in the key of G major
We forget how much on-street parking has already been restricted in European cities. I think driverless cars will push that trend to new highs.
September 20, 2025 at 11:31 AM
We forget how much on-street parking has already been restricted in European cities. I think driverless cars will push that trend to new highs.
In Belgium every home needs to publicly display who lives there (and the police come to check!)
Slight flaw in the system: I strolled past an old flat in Brussels I vacated in 2012 only to find my name is still on the door.
Slight flaw in the system: I strolled past an old flat in Brussels I vacated in 2012 only to find my name is still on the door.
September 14, 2025 at 9:39 AM
In Belgium every home needs to publicly display who lives there (and the police come to check!)
Slight flaw in the system: I strolled past an old flat in Brussels I vacated in 2012 only to find my name is still on the door.
Slight flaw in the system: I strolled past an old flat in Brussels I vacated in 2012 only to find my name is still on the door.
