With friends like this one does not need enemies, many have quipped since Angela Merkel, Germany’s Chancellor, announced her wish to campaign in favour of Mr Sarkozy, France’s President, ahead of France’s Presidential elections. Mr Sarkozy accepted and welcomed the offer, even though many argue such a partnership will do him more bad than good, [...]

A long time has passed since the days of Athenian direct democracy. Even though it certainly had its faults (women, slaves and non-citizens had no voting rights, for example) it is probably as close to the meaning of the word we ever got (democracy, loosely translated, means people power). Today’s democracy is of a different [...]