The Economist’s country of the year for 2023
It is possible to enact painful economic reforms and still get re-elected
Historians will not look back on 2023 as a happy year for humanity. Wars blazed, autocratic regimes swaggered and in many countries strongmen flouted laws and curbed liberty. This is the grim backdrop to our annual “country of the year” award. If our prize was for the resilience of ordinary people in the face of horror, there would be an abundance of candidates, from the Palestinians and Israelis in their bitter conflict to the Sudanese fleeing as their country implodes.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “The centre can hold”
From the December 23rd 2023 edition
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Peace in Lebanon is just a start
Donald Trump must build on Joe Biden’s belated success
From Nixon to China, to Trump to Tehran
Iran is weak. For America’s next president that creates an opportunity
Too many master’s courses are expensive and flaky
Governments should help postgraduates get a better deal
Elon Musk is Donald Trump’s disrupter-in-chief
The entrepreneur will be let loose on America’s government
Why British MPs should vote for assisted dying
A long-awaited liberal reform is in jeopardy
Germany cannot afford to wait to relax its debt brake
It should move before the election