Comment

Recent trends in US consumer spending suggest that the natural forces of pent-up demand may largely be spent. A column by Stephen S. Roach.

Italy’s new prime minister Mario Draghi should become one of the EU’s core leaders, along with president Macron and chancellor Merkel. A column by Melvyn Krauss.

Both countries could begin to reset relations with an agreement to restore the WTO’s dispute-settlement role through US approval of new Appellate Body judges. A column by Anne O. Krueger.

The fundamental laws of economics have not been repealed. Profligate government spending invariably has damaging consequences. A column by John B. Taylor.

Only a transformative vision of a generally healthier society can help us overcome today’s dismal reality. A column by Harold James.

The Russian authorities think that, by sending Alexei Navalny to prison, they have quelled his influence. But they have achieved the opposite result. A column by Andrei Kolesnikov.

There is no recipe for remedying Italy’s political crisis, and no one should expect Mario Draghi to provide one. A technocratic government needs to be effective and short-lived. A column by Paola Subacchi.

The only way to prevent a new round of deterioration in US-China relations is for either Biden or Xi to take the first concrete step signaling willingness to cooperate. A column by Minxin Pei.

The differing performance projections have much to do with the vaccine delivery timetable. People in poorer countries will likely be waiting until 2022 and beyond. A column by Kenneth Rogoff.

The sudden recent regulatory crackdown against Alibaba gives the impression that Chinese law enforcement is arbitrary. A column by Angela Huyue Zhang.

Rich countries ought to allocate available resources directly to pandemic-related expenditures, either by purchasing equipment or by directly financing domestic purchases. A column by Anne O. Krueger.

Europeans’ nervousness following the recent events in the US cannot simply be willed away. It will linger, implying at least some impact on diplomacy and policymaking. A column by Carl Bildt.