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| Alternatives économiques | |
|---|---|
| Title | Alternatives économiques |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Category | Magazine |
| Country | France |
| Based | Paris |
| Language | French |
Alternatives économiques is a French monthly magazine founded in 1980 that focuses on analyses of public policy, Jean-Baptiste Say-era debates, and contemporary issues in social welfare, labor relations and industrial policy. It aims to provide accessible research and commentary to readers interested in public debate in France, including policy makers, academics, unionists and members of civil society. The magazine positions itself within French media alongside publications such as Le Monde Diplomatique, Courrier International and L'Express.
Founded in 1980 by a group of economists and journalists influenced by debates that included figures like Paul Krugman, Amartya Sen, Milton Friedman and Keynes-era scholarship, the magazine emerged during the post-1970s restructuring of French publishing. Early associations included collaborations with researchers from Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques and policy analysts linked to OECD and UNESCO. Over ensuing decades the publication documented episodes such as the neoliberal shifts of the 1980s, the Maastricht debates culminating in the Maastricht Treaty and subsequent European integration controversies involving the European Commission and the European Central Bank. The magazine has covered crises including the early-1990s recession, the 2007–2008 global financial crisis involving institutions like Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, and the eurozone sovereign debt crisis that affected countries such as Greece and Portugal.
Editorially, the magazine draws on influences from a variety of thinkers and institutions, publishing contributions from academics affiliated with École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Sciences Po, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and École normale supérieure. Regular contributors have included commentators rooted in traditions associated with Thomas Piketty-informed redistributive analysis, scholars conversant with Joseph Stiglitz's critiques of market failures, and specialists engaging with Elinor Ostrom-style commons scholarship. The roster has featured journalists with backgrounds at Libération, Le Monde and France Inter, as well as researchers from think tanks such as Institut Montaigne, Terra Nova and Fondation Jean-Jaurès. Guest essays sometimes come from international figures associated with World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development debates.
The magazine is published monthly from offices located in Paris and is sold through French newsstands alongside titles like Le Point and L'Obs. It maintains subscription channels reaching readers in metropolitan France and francophone regions including Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec. Distribution partnerships have connected the title to networks used by publishers such as Groupe Le Monde and distributors linked to Presstalis, alongside digital platforms used by Médiapart and other French digital outlets. The publication issues special dossiers and thematic supplements comparable in scope to series produced by Harvard Business Review and The Economist.
Recurring themes include reviews of public finance debates involving institutions like Banque de France and discussions on labor market reforms comparable to reforms debated in Germany and Italy. Coverage ranges across taxation policy referencing debates around Value-added tax and progressive taxation as discussed by scholars such as Gabriel Zucman, to analyses of social protection systems in comparison with Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The magazine regularly publishes investigations into corporate governance exemplified by controversies involving firms like Renault and Air France, urban policy pieces that reference planning in Paris and Lyon, and environmental economics reporting that cites frameworks from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and events such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Cultural economy columns discuss publishing, media consolidation episodes involving groups like Vivendi and Lagardère, and the digital transformation debates drawing on cases such as Google, Facebook and Amazon.
The magazine has been cited in policy debates within the Assemblée nationale and referenced in analyses by public research bodies including Centre national de la recherche scientifique and Institut de recherche économique et sociale. Academics at institutions such as CNAM and Université Lyon 2 have used its dossiers in teaching. Its investigative work has been picked up by national broadcasters like France Télévisions and radio outlets including France Culture. International observers have noted parallels with publications such as The Nation and Jacobin in terms of public-interest journalism, while mainstream commentators from Le Figaro and Les Échos have critiqued its editorial positions.
Over the years the magazine and its contributors have received journalism awards and professional recognitions from organizations such as the Syndicat national des journalistes and accolades in contests organized by Association des Journalistes Economiques et Financiers. Individual reporters and analysts have been finalists in investigation prizes comparable to the Prix Albert Londres and have been honored by academic societies including Association française d'économie politique for contributions to public debate.
The magazine operates as a cooperative-style entity involving editorial staff, contributors and a governance board with representation drawn from journalists, economists and civil society figures. Its legal and financial arrangements have interacted with French corporate forms used in publishing, and it has engaged in strategic partnerships with media groups and nonprofit foundations such as Fondation de France for project-specific funding. Its editorial independence is overseen by an editorial council that includes members from universities like Université Paris-Dauphine and research institutions such as INED.
Category:Magazines published in France