REUTERS/Dylan MartinezFurther east and north in Europe, worries about an increasingly assertive Russia still dominate. But it still seems unlikely to grab genuine political power in the German federal election in September. Right now, Europe’s institutions have the distinct smell of collapse around them, but their resilience – so far at least – remains striking. The various European projects now under pressure – the EU, NATO, the single currency, even the basic political institutions and establishments that administer each country – are imperfect. Somehow, Europe has to convince itself things are not quite as bad as they look and find some optimistic route forward.

Source: Sunday Times March 14, 2017 05:48 UTC