4 h. ago The Guardian view on Spain: a progressive beacon in dark times | Editorial

Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist-led government has welcomed immigration and boosted public spending, with stellar resultsCoverage of this week’s seismic election result in Germany focused on the disturbing rise of the far right, and chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz’s warning that Europe can no longer rely on the United States for its security. But for European progressives, there was also a third depressing takeaway: the comprehensive rejection of Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic party, which recorded its worst postwar result.Across the continent, centre-left parties have been exiled from the corridors of power, while the radical right has fuelled anxieties over immigration and economic stagnation to extend its influence. There is, however, one startling outlier to this dismal trend. Last year, Spain recorded the highest growth of any major country, at 3.2%. This was achieved under a Socialist-led coalition government that has welcomed high levels of immigration as a driver o...

Politics

51 h. ago The Guardian view on Germany’s election result: Merz’s task is formidable | Editorial

The victorious CDU leader is likely to be more proactive on the European stage. He will also need to forge broad alliances at home to see off the far rightFriedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), has a reputation for being blunt. On Sunday evening, as it became clear that the CDU had won the snap election triggered by the outgoing Social Democrat chancellor, Olaf Scholz, he did not disappoint. “For me,” said Mr Merz in a post-election television debate, “the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.”As recently as a fortnight ago, such a statement from a German chancellor-elect would have been inconceivable. But these are new and extraordinary times. A convinced transatlanticist, Mr Merz has previously played down the dangers to western unity posed by Donald Trump. But crude electioneering on behalf of the extreme right Alternat...

Politics

51 h. ago The Guardian view on AI and copyright: creativity should be cherished, not given away | Editorial

The government’s consultation was weighted towards big tech. Now is the time for a rethinkIt’s a seductive promise: let our computers scrape the internet for ideas, images, forms of words, stories, music, jokes and our industry will make your country rich. For a UK government desperate for economic growth, the demands of tech companies for copyright laws to be relaxed – in order that their artificial intelligence (AI) systems can access as much online content as possible without having to pay or seek permission – have been hard to resist. The US and China are the global leaders of this new tech race. But the UK has a chance to compete that ministers are desperate not to miss.To AI businesses, copyright is an irritant. Three years ago, it appeared that their lobbyists were on the verge of getting their way when a government agency, the Intellectual Property Office, recommended an exemption for data mining. This would grant bots free rein and – so the argument...

Politics

3 d. ago The Guardian view on Haiti’s deepening crisis: abandoning people when they most need support | Editorial

As security and humanitarian conditions deteriorate even further, the community needs helpA year ago, it seemed that Haiti had hit rock bottom. Violence had exploded and conditions had deteriorated following President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in 2021. Then, last February, gangs banded together to free thousands of prisoners, besiege airports and police stations, and demand that Haiti’s unpopular replacement leader departed.Ariel Henry was ousted, but the nation has only spiralled further into crisis. Violence intensified again towards the end of last year. Armed criminals control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Already desperate circumstances have become much more so: more than a million people – around one in 10 of the population – have now been displaced, triple the level a year ago. Half are experiencing acute food insecurity. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago The Guardian view on Gaza’s future: the ceasefire and hostage deal must not fizzle out | Editorial

As Donald Trump persists with a monstrous proposal to remove Palestinians, the immediate need is to prevent fresh conflictThe pain and damage wreaked in the last 16 months will reverberate through families, communities and the Middle East for decades to come. On Thursday, the bodies of two young children and their mother, and that of an 83-year-old peace activist, were returned to Israel by Hamas. They were kidnapped in the 7 October 2023 raid in which the militants killed around 1,200 Israelis and others. Around 48,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its war in response.It was always feared that the ceasefire deal, which has brought desperately needed respite for Palestinians in Gaza and the return of Israeli and foreign hostages, would be fleeting. The six-week opening stage is due to expire on 1 March. The talks on the more complicated second stage have yet to begin, more than a fortnight after the...

Events

8 d. ago The Guardian view on Trump’s diplomacy: when the US knows the price and ignores values | Editorial

US talks with Russia over Ukraine’s future, like the president’s prescription for Gaza, highlights how business and foreign policy mergeThe Trump administration did not take red lines on Ukraine to its talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday: it cares about the bottom line. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, underscored that when he said the two sides would create a team, not only to support Ukraine peace talks but also to explore the “incredible opportunities” to partner with Moscow geopolitically “and, frankly, economically” that might result.Kyiv and other European capitals are still reeling at the full extent of Donald Trump’s cynicism when it comes to world affairs, and callous disregard for the people caught up in them. But it should be no surprise that business dealings were high on the agenda. Vladimir Putin would dearly love to end his country’s economic isolation. Russia is making the case that American energy firms and others could profit handsomely by doing busine...

Politics

9 d. ago The Guardian view on the US, China and the rest: Trump is opening doors for Xi | Editorial

The US president’s bullying of allies and partners is short-termist and will boost Beijing’s power, not Washington’sDonald Trump’s return to the White House is so far proving more nightmarish for US allies and friends than adversaries. China certainly doesn’t relish a trade war with the US, but it was better prepared than others for Mr Trump’s tariffs, and both sides appear to be leaving room for a potential deal. And, though China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is poised for worse to come, the second Trump term is bringing Beijing opportunities as well as problems.International respect for the US plummeted under his last administration. As the US president turns the screws on long-term partners, China is looking to take advantage. Colombia quickly caved to Mr Trump on the matter of migrant returns, but China’s ambassador has been celebrating the “best moment” in relations between Bogotá and Beijing. Under pressure from the Trump administration, Panama announced that it w...

Politics