Europe | Charlemagne

Europe today is a case of lots of presidents yet nobody leading

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to people who no longer matter in the EU

A messy kitchen scene with the silhouette of lots of cooks through a window
Illustration: Peter Schrank

For several years in the early 1990s Deng Xiaoping ran China despite having no formal title other than Most Honorary President of the Chinese Bridge Association. The European Union today is roughly the opposite: a place crawling with presidents, yet nobody in charge. An unexpected power vacuum has befallen the continent in the midst of ongoing war, a budding trade spat with China and a nerve-jangling election in America. Whether in Brussels or in national capitals, those on hand are otherwise engaged, usually with their own domestic difficulties. Can someone—anyone—step up to lead Europe?

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Too many cooks, too little cooking”

Europe June 22nd 2024

From the June 22nd 2024 edition

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