Better but not best
The economy is improving, but it still has a long way to go
A TOLL road snakes west out of Madrid, offering a fast alternative to the jammed motorway alongside. Hailed a decade ago as a cure for congestion, the road’s operator is now likely to be nationalised, as are those running three other loss-making roads into the capital. This is expected to cost taxpayers some €2 billion ($2.7 billion), adding to a soaring national debt and on top of a €50 billion bill for rescuing Spain’s banks.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Better but not best”
From the April 12th 2014 edition
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Emmanuel Macron shows off the gloriously restored Notre Dame
Five years after it was gutted by fire, the cathedral is more beautiful than ever
Ursula von der Leyen has a new doctrine for handling the hard right
The boss of the European Commission embarks on a second term
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare