How a sombre mood gripped Europe

The festive EU EUEU season is upon us, and with it some enduring European traditions: twinkly Christmas markets have sprung up across Germany; the Dutch will soon inexplicably parade themselves daubed in blackface; and in Hungary Viktor Orban, the prime minister, is once more plotting to spoil the mood at an end-of-year summit of leaders. Getting through December is never easy in Brussels, a place where thorny decisions are ritually pushed back to the last possible moment (the endless rain does not help). Alas, 2023 looks unlikely to end on a high. Not only is the Hungarian euro-Grinch at his most cantankerous, he may soon have a new ally on the hard right after Geert Wilders came top in the Dutch election on November 22nd. To make matters worse, a budget mess-up in Germany is threatening havoc with the ’s already-strained finances. A summit on December 14th and 15th was meant to succour Ukraine with money and the prospect of accession to the club. Now the prospects for both look wobbly.A gloom has enveloped Europe in recent weeks. As summer turned to autumn, it became increasingly clear that the Ukrainian counter-offensive many hoped would bring Russia to its senses had fizzled. Having been united on Ukraine (bar Mr Orban), in October the fell into division and irrelevance as war broke out in the Middle East. Faster than you can say “Ho! Ho! Ho!” the prospect of Donald Trump returning to power in America has gone from a can-you-imagine-if to a what-should-we-do-when scenario.