Which EU country is winning our economic pentathlon?
We’ve ranked countries on five measures
The European economies are in for a troubling few years. Germany is probably in recession. The European Commission is forecasting growth of just 0.8% for the EU as a whole in 2023, and little more in 2024. Inflation is coming down only slowly, prompting the European Central Bank (ECB) to raise rates yet again at its September meeting. Business confidence continues to worsen. The commission has asked the ECB’s former boss, Mario Draghi, to come up with a plan to strengthen Europe’s economy. It could make a book, working title: “Whatever it Takes (to Grow)“.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Our European economic pentathlon ”
From the October 14th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Europe
Russian trainee pilots appear to be hunting Ukrainian civilians
Residents of Kherson are dodging murderous drones
Can the good ship Europe weather the Trumpnado?
Tossed by political storms, the continent must dodge a new threat
Spain’s proposed house tax on foreigners will not fix its shortage
Pedro Sánchez will need the opposition’s help to increase supply
A French-sponsored Ukrainian army brigade has been badly botched
The scandal reveals serious weaknesses in Ukraine’s military command
A TV dramatisation of Mussolini’s life inflames Italy
With Giorgia Meloni in power, the fascist past is more relevant than ever
France’s new prime minister is trying to court the left
François Bayrou gambles with Emmanuel Macron’s economic legacy