Polish Election Campaign Dominated by Economic and Energy Issues

In Poland and other European countries, election campaigns are gaining momentum, focusing on the economy and energy. In Paris, where local elections are particularly anticipated, a public dispute has erupted within the presidential camp. Pierre-Yves Bournazel, the candidate of the Horizons party in Paris, announced that he will not form an alliance after the first round either with the left-wing candidate Emmanuel Grégoire or with the right-wing candidate Rachida Dati. This tactic, described as "ni-ni" (neither-nor), has drawn criticism even within his own circles, where it is seen as risky and potentially leading to opposition defeat. Bournazel's declaration was quickly responded to by his party leader, Édouard Philippe. In official statements, he emphasized that he will do everything in his power to bring about a change of power in the capital. Philippe called for the creation of a "grand gathering of the right and center" in the second round of elections. This open divergence between the leader and his candidate highlights serious fractures in the presidential camp's strategy at the local level, where politicians' personal ambitions often clash with the need to build broader electoral coalitions. Since 2001, the mayoralty of Paris has been in the hands of the left. After the tenure of Bertrand Delanoë, the city has been governed since 2014 by Anne Hidalgo of the Socialist Party. Winning this symbolic position has been one of the main goals of the French opposition for years. Meanwhile, in other major cities, increased electoral activity is also being observed. In Lyon, the first debate took place featuring incumbent Mayor Grégory Doucet and his opponents, including the well-known figure from the world of sports and business, Jean-Michel Aulas. The far-left party La France insoumise has already announced that its main priority will be to prevent Aulas's victory. This dynamic illustrates the deep political polarization in French local political life a year before the planned elections. „Je ferai tout pour assurer l'alternance à Paris, avec un grand rassemblement de la droite et du centre au second tour.” (I will do everything to ensure a change of power in Paris, with a grand gathering of the right and center in the second round.) — Édouard Philippe Parallel to political events, intense competition continues in the technology world. Anthropic, the creator of advanced artificial intelligence models, is actively competing with the historical giant IBM, aiming to break its long-standing dominance in the IT services sector. Simultaneously, Microsoft, which was a significant investor in OpenAI, is taking actions indicating increased distance from that organization. These moves are part of a broader realignment of alliances and strategies in the rapidly developing artificial intelligence sector, where influence, patents, and talent are subjects of fierce struggle.