Author | Lightnews

Reposted by Ian Johnston

Duncan Robinson @duncanrobinson.bsky.social · Sep 14

Shot, chaser

Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 13

French debt downgrade piles pressure on Macron’s new prime minister

on.ft.com/4na8Gm0

French debt downgrade piles pressure on Macron’s new prime minister

[FREE TO READ] Fitch’s change to A+ reflects concerns political instability will affect France’s ability to reduce its deficit

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 11

Macron bets on Sébastien Lecornu, the 39-year-old fixer who has been part of his governments since 2017, to succeed where so many before him have failed. Our analysis:

on.ft.com/4gfMyng

Emmanuel Macron’s fixer chosen to tackle political quagmire

[FREE TO READ] New Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has French president’s trust but faces angry opposition

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 4

Whoops for EDF! Click through if you, like me, would like to learn the collective noun for jellyfish

on.ft.com/46tkCYX

Jellyfish force partial shutdown at French nuclear plant

[FREE TO READ] Gelatinous creatures gum up EDF nuclear reactors for the second time in a month

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 3

New in FT: French finance minister Eric Lombard tells us compromise on his €44bn deficit reduction plan is “inevitable”, as French PM François Bayrou is set to be booted out of office

on.ft.com/3VBm3PD

French finance minister urges compromise on 2026 budget

Éric Lombard says deficit reduction plan will inevitably be less ambitious if the government falls

on.ft.com

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Alice Hancock @alicemhancock.bsky.social · Aug 26

The Korean nuclear industry is accusing EDF of being in contravention of state aid rules — after EDF accused Korea’s state nuclear company KHNP of the same thing.

In Europe Express with @iancjohnston.bsky.social

on.ft.com/45AwjxG

French and Korean nuclear groups in stand-off over foreign subsidy probe

[FREE TO READ] Also in this newsletter: German minister travels to Israel and Palestine after deadly air strike

on.ft.com

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · Jul 29

FT Editorial: "Unless the Israeli government agrees to an immediate end to the war and a surge of aid into Gaza, western countries should be sanctioning Netanyahu and his government." www.ft.com/content/69d5...

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 23

Macron and Merz say they will ramp up defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP ahead of NATO meeting, in a joint FT op-ed.

"We will live for the foreseeable future in a deeply destabilised environment, and in a world in which our allies will have other dilemmas and priorities"

on.ft.com/4kV3u4h

Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world

[FREE TO READ] Norms are eroding and old certainties are being challenged — we must act accordingly

on.ft.com

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Hannah Murphy @mshannahmurphy.bsky.social · Jun 20

After months of reporting (and even my own attempt at a jiu jitsu class), my FT Magazine cover story on Mark Zuckerberg’s metamorphosis to red-blooded “Maga Mark” is out!

Is this political expediency, a midlife crisis or who Zuck has been all along?

on.ft.com/4nsoktx

How Mark Zuckerberg unleashed his inner brawler

[FREE TO READ] The boss’s transformation shocked liberals at Meta, but his closest allies say this is who he was all along

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 20

FT exclusive: US private equity group Apollo has agreed £4.5bn in debt financing to support the UK’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, easing mounting financial pressure on the delayed and over-budget project led by France's EDF.

on.ft.com/4ldOvBY

Apollo to finance UK Hinkley Point nuclear plant with £4.5bn loan

[FREE TO READ] Funding for electricity group EDF is among largest UK private credit deals to date

on.ft.com

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Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · Jun 17

Emmanuel Macron’s decision to make a symbolic stopover in Greenland on his way to the G7 and criticise Trump’s desire to control the island had irritated the US President and contributed to his decision to leave early, three officials attending the summit told @financialtimes.com

on.ft.com/45XasRu

Donald Trump’s abrupt G7 exit causes disquiet among other leaders

[FREE TO READ] US president’s early departure raises fears over Washington’s commitment to global alliances

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 17

After the shock resignation of Renault boss Luca de Meo on Sunday to lead luxury group Kering, the head of budget car brand Dacia is a leading contender to succeed him.

More details on how De Meo's departure rocked Renault in our story 👇

on.ft.com/4kHbm9d

Head of budget brand Dacia among contenders to succeed Luca de Meo as Renault CEO

[FREE TO READ] French carmaker hopes to avoid lengthy search process endured by rival Stellantis

on.ft.com

Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 16

Scoop in the FT today: UK authorities have commissioned a human rights review into a $20bn gas development in Mozambique led by France's TotalEnergies. It comes as the UK assesses whether it is going to keep funding the controversial project

on.ft.com/43Pdje0

TotalEnergies gas project in Mozambique faces UK human rights probe

[FREE TO READ] Country’s credit export agency tasks legal group led by senior barrister to review $20bn gas development

on.ft.com

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A Better Bay Area @sustainablebayarea.bsky.social · Jun 13

Tesla drivers in France sue over Elon Musk’s political antics-to terminate the leases for their vehicles, alleging chief executive Elon Musk’s political activities have made their cars “far-right totems”. www.ft.com/content/ef4a... @iancjohnston.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

Tesla drivers in France sue over Elon Musk’s political antics

Lawsuit seeks termination of customers’ leases, alleging CEO has ‘tarnished’ brand

www.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 10

Hedge funds are circling more than a dozen distressed companies in France, we reported in the FT yesterday

Shocks from Trump's tariffs to the aftermath of last summer's French elections are weighing on indebted businesses, many of which are owned by private equity groups 👇

on.ft.com/3Tgleux

Hedge funds circle distressed French private equity-owned companies

[FREE TO READ] Economic weakness and high debt burdens have made businesses more attractive targets

on.ft.com

Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 6

Can oil and gas companies be "major actors in the energy transition" while developing new fossil fuel resources? And is gas a "transition fuel"?

France's TotalEnergies is under fire in a landmark "greenwashing" trial that questions how companies communicate their climate goals.

on.ft.com/4kuhLo4

TotalEnergies promotion of natural gas under fire in greenwashing trial

[FREE TO READ] Landmark case over claim of misleading commercial practices by oil and gas group

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 3

Macron meets Giorgia Meloni in Rome today, for discussions on Ukraine, migration and more. But it's also a bid to repair relations. The pair do not get on, to put it lightly.

Story with @amykazmin.bsky.social

on.ft.com/43JxB74

How Macron and Meloni are trying to patch up their tattered relationship

[FREE TO READ] Also in this newsletter: Why the Mercosur trade deal could still survive Poland’s election

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 3

Scoop in today's FT: Starmer and Macron will give the go-ahead to the UK's Sizewell C nuclear station at an Anglo-French summit next month. UK ministers have been drumming up billions of private sector investment for the EDF-designed plant. With @pickardje.bsky.social and team:

on.ft.com/3SvDyQb

Sizewell C nuclear project to get go-ahead during Anglo-French summit

[FREE TO READ] UK ministers hope to sign up private sector investors for new Suffolk power plant later this month

on.ft.com

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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · Jun 2

'Forever chemicals' are seeping into waterways across Europe. A vanishingly small, man-made molecule resists all attempts of removal. How will the EU eradicate the pollution? www.ft.com/content/a36c...

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 2

Greenpeace activists steal Emmanuel Macron's waxwork from the Musée Grevin, in protest against trade between Russia and France. Bien joué

www.lemonde.fr/societe/arti...

La statue d’Emmanuel Macron volée au Musée Grévin par Greenpeace pour dénoncer le commerce entre la France et la Russie

Des activistes de l’organisation écologiste ont déposé la statue de cire devant l’ambassade russe en France, lundi.

www.lemonde.fr

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vjmalletft.bsky.social @vjmalletft.bsky.social · Jun 1

I don't think the FT would let me write like this, even for a football report. The intro celebrating a PSG victory that will be remembered till the end of time is a triumph of joyous Gallic excess...

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 1

Impressive victory for PSG last night in the Champions League, followed by a less impressive reaction on the streets of Paris...

on.ft.com/4kDVIem

PSG’s Champions League victory marred by violence in Paris

[FREE TO READ] Nearly 500 arrested after looters raid shops in the Champs-Élysées area and burn cars in the city

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 1

Merci!

Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · May 30

French-Italian carmaker Stellantis got a new chief executive this week: Antonio Filosa. Faced with Trump's tariffs and a not so healthy car market, the water polo-playing boss faces a tough task of keeping the struggling company afloat.

Our profile in the FT today:

on.ft.com/3SvJad7

New Stellantis CEO: the water-polo player charged with keeping Fiat and Jeep afloat

[FREE TO READ] Sergio Marchionne protégé Antonio Filosa inherits a group which suffered a 70% plunge drop in net profits in 2024

on.ft.com

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Ian Johnston @iancjohnston.bsky.social · May 30

I'm the Paris correspondent for the FT and I'll be posting mostly, but not exclusively, about France. Follow along if you want to read things I have written, things I find interesting and, sometimes, both of those things

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