On March 21st, we organised a conference entitled “Law and power. Rules and norms at the heart of influence”. This is the first event in our cycle of meetings “At the heart of influences”. The speakers at the conference were: Frédéric MUNIER, Director of the School of Geopolitics at SKEMA Business School, Noëlle LENOIR, lawyer and former minister of European Affairs, and Claude REVEL, Director of Development at SKEMA PUBLIKA, former interministerial delegate for economic intelligence. The debate was moderated by Stéphane MARCHAND, editor in chief of Pour l'Éco.

In this note, Claude Revel, expert in economic intelligence, offers a complete analysis of what influence is, how it is exercised, its actors and forms of intervention. She warns of its excesses and proposes strategies for counter-influence, all supported by concrete examples: sustainable development, legal systems, Chinese standards, etc.

by Diane de Saint-Affrique | At a time when the European Commission is addressing the issue of due diligence, and given the crucial impact of this reform on European companies and the continuation of various international commercial exchanges, the think tank SKEMA PUBLIKA considered it vital to carry out an in-depth study with the main stakeholders – non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and companies affected by the regulation – to get their feedback on the application of France’s 2017 Duty of Vigilance Act and its impact in economic and commercial terms, and find out their views on this new EU draft directive.

By Simon Chadwick | Global sport is changing. Organised around the Global North since it originated, international sport governance is increasingly influenced by countries of the Global South. Europe, once at its centre, saw its hegemonic position challenged first by North American hyper-commercialisation of sports, and now today, by the strength of the Global South’s geopolitical aspirations. How can European sport overcome these challenges?

The different European regulations are compelling companies and organisations to adapt their governance to achieve the objectives of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The aim of the regulations is much broader, since they seek the implementation of a governance adapted to achieving all CSR objectives, hence the need for accurate and reliable measurement tools.

The governance landscape has changed in recent years, due in particular to the influence of new corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards that have emerged. These two concepts, governance and CSR, now appear to be inextricably linked and are part of a new reality in business management.

Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Simon Chadwick, professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at SKEMA Business School, discusses the reasons why the hosting of global sport events is a question of geopolitical survival for Qatar. He also delves into the preparedness of the country to welcome the estimated 1.5 million visitors and the security threats that could arise during the tournament. Finally, he examines the long-term possible impacts for the Qatari population, notably in terms of national identity building and social cohesion.

by Simon Chadwick | The report examines the background to Qatar’s hosting of the men’s World Cup, the country’s preparedness to host the tournament, the event’s management, and the legacies. To conclude, the report highlights areas in which there could be issues for Qatari and FIFA World Cup organisers to contend with, at perhaps one of the biggest, but certainly one of the most controversial, sport mega-events ever staged.

International relations: does economics contribute to peace? With international tensions running high, Claude Revel argues in her Preface for “La Revue Diplomatique” that this is by no means a given. She calls for a return to politics and diplomacy to create a more peaceful world.