How a sombre mood gripped Europe

The festive season is upon us, and with it some enduring European traditions: twinkly Christmas markets have sprung up across Germany; the Dutch will soon inexplicably parade themselves daubed in blackface; and in Hungary Viktor Orban, the prime minister, is once more plotting to spoil the mood at an end-of-year summit of EU leaders. Getting through December is never easy in Brussels, a place where thorny decisions are ritually pushed back to the last possible moment (the endless rain does not help). Alas, 2023 looks unlikely to end on a high. Not only is the Hungarian euro-Grinch at his most cantankerous, he may soon have a new ally on the hard right after Geert Wilders came top in the Dutch election on November 22nd. To make matters worse, a budget mess-up in Germany is threatening havoc with the EU’s already-strained finances. A summit on December 14th and 15th was meant to succour Ukraine with money and the prospect of accession to the club. Now the prospects for both look wobbly.