The Economist today
May 6, 2025
Brooke Unger (Senior digital editor)
Which countries have the best and worst living standards? There’s been a change at the very top of rankings, according to the latest edition of the UN’s Human Development Index. But, as our interactive article explains, almost all countries are still suffering from the after-effects of the pandemic.
Handovers of power in Germany are supposed to be boring and predictable, but today’s parliamentary votes on a new government were an exception. Friedrich Merz, the incoming chancellor, fell short of a majority in the first vote and had to hastily arrange a second to secure approval to take office. The embarrassment could do lasting damage to a leader who proclaims that “Germany is back” in Europe.