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I am a French economist and sociologist specializing in regulatory economics, COVID-19 policy, entrepreneurship, and labor economics/sociology.
I have published in peer-reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Review of Austrian Economics, Economic Affairs, Econ Journal Watch, Journal of Libertarian Studies, MISES: Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, Law and Economics, and Cosmos + Taxis.
My recent work examines the socio-economic consequences of state intervention during the COVID-19 crisis, with a particular focus on the French labor market and the effects of regulation on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In addition to research, I have taught at Sciences Po Paris, Panthéon-Sorbonne University, NEOMA Business School, and CNAM, covering Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, History of economic thought, economic theory, and Research Methodology. I have also coordinated academic programs and served on thesis and admissions juries in French and English.
Alongside academia, I work as a policy analyst and independent economist for French Think Tanks.
Contact Information
Based in: Paris, France
Email: alexis.semanne.etu@univ-lille.fr
ORCID: 0009-0008-9278-5816
Google Scholar: Profile
ResearchGate: Profile
LinkedIn: Profile
"I am open to collaboration (co-authorships, edited volumes, policy briefs, invited talks). My primary goal is a full-time teaching and research position that supports active research time in political economy, socio-economics, regulation, and entrepreneurship/labor. Happy to share syllabi, references, and a publications list on request."
I) Education
Université de Lille, France — PhD in Economics
Expected July 2026
Panthéon-Sorbonne University (Paris 1), France — Master in Economics
2020Concordia University, Montréal, Canada — Bachelor of Arts and Science
2018
Double Major in Economics and Political Science
II) Awards & Honors
Second Prize – Best Paper Award, Austrian Student Scholars Conference (ASSC), Grove City College, Pennsylvania, USA, February 2025.
III) Peer-Reviewed Publications
Sémanne, A. (2025). Small Businesses Under Siege: Austrian Perspectives on COVID-19 Regulations and Their Impact on SMEs in France. The Review of Austrian Economics.
Sémanne, A. (2025). Towards an Austro-Libertarian Sociology. American Journal of Economics and Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12630
Sémanne, A. (2025). Beyond David Graeber: How State Intervention Creates “Bullshit Jobs”. Economic Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecaf. 70013
Sémanne, A. (2026). Monoculture in France’s Economic Bestsellers. Econ Journal Watch.
Sémanne, A. (2025). The Road to Serfdom Framework: Hayek’s Critique of France’s Centralized Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cosmos + Taxis.
Sémanne, A. (2025). Beyond Piketty: Inequality, State Intervention, and the Distinction Between Natural and Artificially Successful Entrepreneurs. Journal of Libertarian Studies. https://doi.org/10.35297/001c.129024
Sémanne, A. (2025). State Primary Socialization Indoctrination: A Libertarian Critique of Youth Digital Regulation. Journal of Libertarian Studies. https://doi.org/10.35297/001c.142734
Sémanne, A. (2025). The Seen and Unseen of COVID-19 Interventionism in France: An Austrian Economic Critique of Labor Market Distortions. MISES: Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, Law and Economics.
Sémanne, A. (2025) The 6 Forces of State Interventionism: A Misesian Framework for Analyzing Government Interference. Revista Procesos de Mercado
IV) Books
Sémanne, A. (2024). Réussir son oral de motivation en école de commerce : Le guide ultime.
V) My Selected Research interests
Sémanne, A. (2025). Small Businesses Under Siege: Austrian Perspectives on COVID-19 Regulations and Their Impact on SMEs in France. The Review of Austrian Economics.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in France, which constitute the backbone of the nation’s economy. As the government implemented restrictive measures, such as lockdowns and mandatory closures, SMEs faced severe challenges, including revenue losses, increased compliance costs, and supply chain disruptions. While large corporations often adapted with greater resilience, SMEs were disproportionately affected, leading to widespread bankruptcies and structural changes within the economy. Despite significant attention to the macroeconomic effects of the pandemic, little research has focused on the specific challenges faced by SMEs or the long-term consequences of these interventions. This article bridges this gap by analyzing the impact of COVID-19 regulations on French SMEs through the lens of Austrian economics. It applies concepts such as entrepreneurial discovery and critiques of interventionism to evaluate the unintended consequences of state policies. Using sector-specific data and case studies, the article demonstrates how these policies created distortions in market signals, stifled innovation, and encouraged dependence on public subsidies. The findings highlight the need for a radical rethinking of crisis management, emphasizing reduced state intervention, decentralized decision-making, and enhanced entrepreneurial freedom. By merging empirical analysis with Austrian economic theory, this article provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing the challenges faced by SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sémanne, A. (2025). Towards an Austro-Libertarian Sociology. American Journal of Economics and Sociology
I developed a research program I call Modern Austro-Libertarian Sociology, a methodology that applies Austrian principles of human action and spontaneous order to sociology. It focuses on five domains (human action, free-market capitalism, property rights, freedom of contract, and natural competition) and introduces new analytical concepts such as State Dependency Syndrome, Adaptive Agency, and Spontaneous Resistance Networks to study how people adapt to and resist interventionist policies. I’m expanding this framework with mixed-methods projects (qualitative interviews and quantitative indicators) to better explain regulation’s effects on entrepreneurship, labor markets, and civil society. For an overview of the approach, see my article in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology.
2) American Journal of Economics and Sociology .pdfSémanne, A. (2025). Beyond David Graeber: How State Intervention Creates "Bullshit Jobs". Economic Affairs
Sémanne, A. (2025). Beyond Piketty: Inequality, State Intervention, and the Distinction Between Natural and Artificially Successful Entrepreneurs. Journal of Libertarian Studies
Sémanne, A. (2025). The Seen and Unseen of COVID-19 Interventionism in France: An Austrian Economic Critique of Labor Market Distortions. MISES: Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, Law and Economics
This article explores the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic through the Austrian School of Economics lens, focusing on the labor market distortions caused by government interventions in France. While wage subsidies, furlough schemes, and other policies provided immediate relief, they masked deeper inefficiencies and delayed necessary market adjustments. Drawing on the insights of Bastiat, Hayek, Mises, Rothbard, and Kirzner, this study critiques the “seen” effects of these interventions, preserved jobs and stabilized incomes, while highlighting the “unseen” long-term consequences, including misallocation of resources, suppressed entrepreneurial discovery, and exacerbated deindustrialization. The article argues that by artificially maintaining employment in declining sectors and disrupting natural productivity cycles, these policies hindered the market’s ability to correct itself, thus prolonging economic recovery. Furthermore, retaining non-qualified workers without addressing structural labor market issues has entrenched inefficiencies and created a dependency on government support. The Austrian perspective offers a critical evaluation of how interventionism, though well-intentioned, may lead to prolonged economic stagnation and reduced overall market flexibility, underscoring the importance of allowing market signals and entrepreneurial activities to guide recovery efforts.
3) Mises .pdfSémanne, A. (2025). State Primary Socialization Indoctrination: A Libertarian Critique of Youth Digital Regulation. Journal of Libertarian Studies
6) State-primary-socialization-indoctrination-a-libertarian-critique-of-youth-digital-regulation (4).pdfVI) My Class on Austrian Economics (in French)
The Austrian School of Economics offers a unique and coherent approach to understanding markets, the role of the state, and the mechanisms of economic coordination. Rooted in deductive analysis and methodological individualism, this tradition is based on the idea that human action is intentional, subjective, and oriented toward purposeful goals.
This course, Foundations of the Austrian School: An Introduction to Economic Liberalism, provides an in-depth exploration of the school’s core concepts. It highlights essential notions such as praxeology, private property, the market process, entrepreneurial discovery, and the unintended consequences of interventionist policies.
By examining the contributions of key thinkers such as Carl Menger, Eugen Böhm-Bawerk, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and Murray Rothbard, the course aims to offer a rigorous understanding of Austrian economic principles and their contemporary implications.
The objective is to equip learners with solid analytical tools to grasp the fundamental mechanisms of the free market and to evaluate the impact of public policies on social coordination and economic prosperity. Emphasizing the logic of human action and the role of prices, the course encourages a critical reading of state intervention and an appreciation of the market’s informational superiority.
This course—the first French-language Austrian economics course available online—is offered on Udemy and includes:
— an explanatory video,
— an analytical summary,
— a 10-question multiple-choice quiz,
— and reflection/application questions.
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