The Economist Continental Europe Edition March 20, 2021

At least 16 EU countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain, suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s covid-19 vaccine, following reports that a handful of people had developed blood-clots after receiving it. Several regulators, including the World Health Organisation, said that the risks of not getting jabbed far outweighed those of getting jabbed. Experts predicted that the delay would cost lives and needlessly undermine confidence in both the AstraZeneca vaccine and vaccines more generally. Germany’s ruling Christian Democrats performed badly in two important state elections, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The results are a blow to the party’s new leader, Armin Laschet, and a sign that Germans are unimpressed by the government’s handling of the covid crisis. A general election in the Netherlands appears to have given Mark Rutte, the centreright prime minister,…

Schools, shops and restaurants were ordered to close across half of Italy, including Milan and Rome, as a new wave of cases emerged. Britain’s National Health Service warned of a crunch in vaccine supply next month, a potential setback to the country’s successful inoculation programme. Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, replaced his health minister for the third time during the pandemic. Mr Bolsonaro continued to rail against lockdowns. Only around 5% of the population have been vaccinated. The prime minister of Papua New Guinea said that a quarter of the population may have contracted covid-19. Neighbouring Australia, which is providing vaccines, is worried that the virus might spread across the maritime border. So are other Pacific countries, many of which have weak health services. → For our latest coverage of the virus please visit economist.com/…

Schools, shops and restaurants were ordered to close across half of Italy, including Milan and Rome, as a new wave of cases emerged. Britain’s National Health Service warned of a crunch in vaccine supply next month, a potential setback to the country’s successful inoculation programme. Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, replaced his health minister for the third time during the pandemic. Mr Bolsonaro continued to rail against lockdowns. Only around 5% of the population have been vaccinated. The prime minister of Papua New Guinea said that a quarter of the population may have contracted covid-19. Neighbouring Australia, which is providing vaccines, is worried that the virus might spread across the maritime border. So are other Pacific countries, many of which have weak health services. → For our latest coverage of the…

At least 16 EU countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain, suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s covid-19 vaccine, following reports that a handful of people had developed blood-clots after receiving it. Several regulators, including the World Health Organisation, said that the risks of not getting jabbed far outweighed those of getting jabbed. Experts predicted that the delay would cost lives and needlessly undermine confidence in both the AstraZeneca vaccine and vaccines more generally. Germany’s ruling Christian Democrats performed badly in two important state elections, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The results are a blow to the party’s new leader, Armin Laschet, and a sign that Germans are unimpressed by the government’s handling of the covid crisis. A general election in the Netherlands appears to have given Mark Rutte, the centreright prime minister, a chance…

LAST WEEK China slapped down democracy in Hong Kong. The imposition of tight mainland control over the territory is not just a tragedy for the 7.5m people who live there, it is also a measure of China’s determination not to compromise over how it asserts its will. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, liberal values were ascendant around the world. The challenge from China will subject them to their greatest test since the early days of the cold war. What is more, as the economy of Hong Kong also shows, China is more tightly coupled with the West than communist Russia ever was. This presents the free world with an epoch-defining question: how should it best secure prosperity, lower the risk of war and protect freedom as…

LAST WEEK China slapped down democracy in Hong Kong. The imposition of tight mainland control over the territory is not just a tragedy for the 7.5m people who live there, it is also a measure of China’s determination not to compromise over how it asserts its will. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, liberal values were ascendant around the world. The challenge from China will subject them to their greatest test since the early days of the cold war. What is more, as the economy of Hong Kong also shows, China is more tightly coupled with the West than communist Russia ever was. This presents the free world with an epoch-defining question: how should it best secure prosperity, lower the risk of war and protect freedom as…