The Debate

As the European Union races to diversify its hydrocarbon imports and electrify its economy, what impact will the ongoing energy crisis have on Europe’s climate ambitions and on the bloc's industrial competitiveness? FRANCE 24 Business Editor Kate Moody asks a prestigious panel of guests at Davos, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum.

Is it one reform too many for Emmanuel Macron? France's president is braving the wrath of the street in what organisers promise is only Day One of the protest movement against his pension reform. A reform he put off during his first mandate because of Covid, but insisted he would submit again in his second term.

You won't see Elon Musk in Davos this year. He says it’s boring on Twitter, which he now owns, and which is still bleeding money. The same big losses are being seen at his electric car maker Tesla. But it would take a lot more for the billionaire to go broke. The truth is that in today's world, tech titans seem unbreakable, even when the likes of Musk face a lawsuit for allegedly manipulating Tesla's share price.

It's incredible to think that just a few months ago, the West still hoped to revive the Iran nuclear deal. Now, the UK and the EU are openly considering outlawing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. What's the right response to Tehran's weekend execution of British-Iranian citizen Alireza Akbari? Officially, his case has nothing to do with the protest movement, which is now in its fifth month. We ask about the timing of his killing and about the other foreign nationals currently held in Iran.

Russia's cruise missile strike on an apartment building far from any strategic target sends calling cards to both Ukraine and its NATO allies. We ask about the consequences of the Dnipro attack, both domestically and among member states of the Alliance. Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, NATO has upped its support for Kyiv in increments.

What do the backers of Brazil's ransacking of official buildings stand for? Jair Bolsonaro's backers were inspired by the 2021 storming of the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters. In both cases, it started with unfounded claims of election fraud long before the vote and ended in violence. We ask about Bolsonaro's successor vowing to pursue those who financed last Sunday's riot, a movement that was once again organised over social media.

Soledar, a salt-mining town of 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine, is the new focal point of a war where the Kremlin badly needs some good news from the battlefield. We ask who controls the town that's a gateway to the Donbas city of Bakhmut, where the Russians have been pushing for months.

The retirement age in France is to be raised from 62 to 64 years, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne has announced. The move is part of the reforms President Emmanuel Macron has been considering since he was first elected in 2017. The issue of changing the pension system in France is an explosive one. It has been a rolling topic on the agenda of successive presidents and governments since at least 1993. Each time, there have been strikes against it. This time around, unions have already called for strikes and protests on January 19.

Scenes of open revolt in Brazil - protestors invaded the Presidential palace and the Supreme court in the capital Brasilia. An angry mob of supporters of the defeated presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro. The far-right mob caused huge damage to the headquarters of the three Powers in Brasília: the Palácio do Planalto, the Congress, and the Federal Supreme Court.

The UK is in the grip of a new winter of discontent. Strikes are taking place this Thursday across the board. Rail workers continue their rolling dispute that has stopped train services; they are calling for a better wage and conditions package. Health workers are striking over similar issues. Stories of nurses turning to food banks to feed their families are not anecdotal. Hospitals are reporting being overwhelmed by the combination of a staff shortage and the Covid-19 pandemic. Also out on strike this Thursday are driving instructors, rural finance adjudicators and London bus workers.