Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Thibault Lemaire

Author

Thibault Lemaire
PhD Candidate in Economics, Université Paris 1 Panthéon – Sorbonne

Thibault Lemaire is a PhD candidate in economics within the Sustainable Development Economics group at Université Paris 1 Panthéon – Sorbonne and works at Banque de France. His dissertation analyses the consequences of climate change for the conduct of monetary, exchange rate and macroprudential policies in developing countries. His research also focuses on informal labour and monetary and fiscal policy in developing countries. He holds a BSc in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics and a Master’s in development economics from Université Paris 1 Panthéon – Sorbonne.

Content by this Author

Civil conflicts and exchange rate misalignment

Civil conflicts can have devastating effects on a country’s population, physical capital and real sector. This column summarises new research that assesses the effect of civil conflicts on misalignment of the real exchange rate and concludes that the monetary and financial sectors are also affected by civil conflicts. The resulting currency overvaluation, in real terms, has strong implications for the post-conflict transition.

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Global value chains and sustainable development

What is the role of exchange rate undervaluation in promoting participation in global value chains by firms in developing countries? What is the impact of the stringency of national environmental regulations on firms’ GVC participation? And how do firms’ political connections affect their participation in GVCs? These questions will be explored for the MENA region at a special session of the ERF annual conference, which takes place in Cairo in April 2025.

Adoption of decentralised solar energy: lessons from Palestinian households

The experience of Palestinian households offers a compelling case study of behavioural adaptation to energy poverty via solar water heater adoption. This column highlights the key barriers to solar energy adoption in terms of both the socio-economic status and dwellings of potential users. Policy-makers need to address these barriers to ensure a just and equitable transition, particularly for households in conflict-affected areas across the MENA region.

Migration, human capital and labour markets in MENA

Migration is a longstanding and integral part of the MENA region’s economic and social fabric, with profound implications for labour markets and human capital development. To harness the potential of migration for promoting economic and social development, policy-makers must aim to deliver mutual benefits for origin countries, host countries and migrants. Such a triple-win strategy requires better data, investment in return migration, skill partnerships, reduced remittance costs and sustained support for host countries.

Shifting gears: how the private sector can be an engine of growth in MENA

Businesses are a key source of productivity growth, innovation and jobs. But in the Middle East and North Africa, the private sector is not dynamic and the region has a long history of low growth. This column summarises a new report explaining how a brighter future for MENA’s private sector is within reach if governments rethink their role and firms harness talent effectively.




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