Category: Policy

GovernmentPolicy

French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform in Budget Negotiations

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has suspended Emmanuel Macron’s flagship 2023 pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election. The move comes as Lecornu faces multiple no-confidence votes while attempting to pass France’s 2026 budget through a divided parliament.

In a dramatic political concession, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has suspended President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark 2023 pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election, creating significant implications for France’s budget negotiations and political stability. The announcement came during a crucial parliamentary address where Lecornu faces multiple no-confidence votes that threaten his government’s survival.

Political Crisis Forces Pension Reform Suspension

by Michael Turner
PolicySemiconductors

Dutch Government Seizes Control of Chinese-Owned Chipmaker Nexperia Over Security Concerns

The Dutch government has taken the extraordinary step of seizing control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, citing serious governance shortcomings and national security concerns. The intervention under the Goods Availability Act represents a significant escalation in Western scrutiny of Chinese semiconductor ownership.

The Dutch government has taken highly exceptional control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, invoking emergency powers to address what it describes as “serious governance shortcomings” threatening crucial technological capabilities. Announced on October 12 but effective since September 30, this unprecedented intervention represents the latest escalation in Western efforts to safeguard semiconductor technology from foreign control.

Government Intervention Under Emergency Powers

by Michael Turner
International Business and TradePolicy

U.S.-China Trust Crisis Deepens as Trade Retaliation Escalates

Trust between the United States and China is deteriorating rapidly as both nations implement retaliatory trade measures. Recent rare earth restrictions, expanded tariffs, and corporate blacklisting reflect what analysts call a fundamental breakdown in diplomatic relations between the world’s two largest economies.

Trust between the United States and China is deteriorating at an alarming rate as both nations implement increasingly aggressive trade measures that analysts characterize as either retaliation or dangerous escalation. The recent flare-up in tensions highlights what economists describe as a fundamental breakdown in diplomatic relations between the world’s two largest economies, with potentially severe consequences for global markets.

Recent Escalation in U.S.-China Trade Relations

by Jessica Moore P.E.
Assistive TechnologyPolicy

Trump’s TikTok Deal Puts White House in Driver’s Seat of Tech Policy

The Trump administration’s proposed TikTok ownership transfer marks a dramatic shift in government-tech industry relations. This move follows similar interventions in steel and semiconductor sectors, establishing new precedent for federal involvement in private enterprise.

President Donald Trump is fundamentally reshaping the relationship between the federal government and private industry through an unprecedented series of interventions, with his proposed TikTok ownership transfer representing the most consequential move yet for average Americans. The administration’s strategy of taking equity positions in key companies while leveraging tariff negotiations has created a new paradigm where the White House increasingly operates as both regulator and stakeholder in corporate America.

The TikTok Ownership Transfer Strategy

by Jessica Moore P.E.