Exclusive interview - Thomas Piketty: "Historically, it was the fight for equality that brought prosperity"

He has become almost even more famous abroad than in France. With his work on taxation and inequalities, Thomas Piketty has inspired many researchers. And the bestsellers he has drawn from his research have seduced Barack Obama and the American left in particular. He published on August 26 "A brief history of equality" (Seuil, 336 pages), a summary of his work. Retracing the political and social history of the sharing of wealth around the world, the economist details how its concentration in the hands of a few powerful people corrupts our democracies. And outlines concrete proposals to forge a new ideal of the left: universalist sovereignism. Interview.

Is this book a way for you to influence the next presidential election, to impose the issue of inequality?

All the better if he can contribute to the debate! But this book is part of a long-term perspective: the demand for equality has gone through the centuries like societies and it is not about to stop. There is a profound movement towards greater social, economic and political equity, at least since the end of the 18^th century, sometimes following revolts for greater justice, sometimes thanks to crises unforeseen. The Covid crisis has shown, once again, that supposed consensus on economic issues, such as the absolute need to reduce public debt, can be overturned very quickly.

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— Jovan Shabazz Fri Aug 17 18:13:33 +0000 2018

But, for now, this demand for equality is not