What could replace the dollar? | The Economist

2026-02-17

While Europeans grieve the end of the transatlantic alliance, Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, says all is not lost. He tells The Economist’s Geopolitics editor, David Rennie, that an alliance with Europe is still in America’s interest—even if they disagree over values.

#europe #usa #finland

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2026-02-13

Japan’s prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, bet big – and won bigger – when she called a snap election, which she won emphatically on 8th February. But who is she? How will she use her historic mandate to reshape her country’s international role? And why has she received criticism from China? Our top editors explain.

#japan #china #foreignpolicy #defence #diplomacy

00:00 – Who is Japan’s new prime minister?
01:58 – What are her big promises?
02:58 – Japan’s approach to defence spending
06:00 – Japan’s tricky relationship with China

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2026-02-03

Almost 70% of the world’s cocaine is made in Colombia and its president, Gustavo Petro, is under pressure from Donald Trump to crack down on the war on drugs. Claire McQue, The Economist’s Latin America contributor, joined one of the raids to destroy a cocaine-producing laboratory.

#trump #colombia #drugs #petro

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2026-01-30

“The most important power a government has is its monopoly on violence”—Edward Carr, our deputy editor, explains why he thinks this is a monumental moment for American democracy.

On the latest Insider show, our editors discuss the killings in Minneapolis and why what happens next is a test of Donald Trump’s power.

2025-12-12

President Trump has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and blown up alleged narco-boats across the Caribbean. What’s behind this escalation of military force?

Tap the link in our bio to read why an American oil blockade would devastate the Venezuelan regime.

2025-10-30

How resilient is the global economy? Mike Bird, co-host of the Money Talks podcast, speaks with Gita Gopinath, Harvard professor and former IMF chief economist, about her experience steering the financial body through crises and the fiscal risks countries currently face.

00:09 – What was it like working at the IMF during a time of global crises?
01:35 – Can emerging markets stay resilient as U.S. influence fades?
04:37 – How worried should we be about hidden risks in global finance and soaring deficits?
07:22 – How can rich countries fix their fiscal imbalances?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4hzMWxL
Gita Gopinath on the crash that could torch $35trn of wealth: https://econ.st/47uiKPV
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#TheEconomist #GitaGopinath

2025-10-23

At The Economist, we believe it is important to engage seriously with people whose ideas challenge our own. In keeping with that belief, our editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, and our deputy editor, Ed Carr, spoke to Steve Bannon, one of the chief architects of the MAGA movement. Bannon insists that president Trump will have a third term and has played a role in galvanising Europe’s populist nationalists, many of whom are now close to power.

Subscribers can watch the full interview as part of our new video series The Insider.

00:00 – The Economist interviews Steve Bannon
00:52 – What kind of America does Bannon want to build?
02:00 – Bannon on seizing America’s institutions
06:15 – Bannon says Trump will have a third term
10:41 – Bannon’s role in populist nationalist movements in

2025-10-18

Pablo Escobar’s control-everything model is dead. Cocaine traffickers today are highly decentralised, using scuba divers, narco subs and sophisticated chemistry to evade policing. Our Latin America correspondent, Kinley Salmon, explains why cocaine trafficking has become harder than ever to stop.