Albania "AU900 Croatia"_._,,HRK48 France_" ..,,__ €6.50 Ireland_._._ €6.50 Latvia,, __ €6.SO Netherlands €6.SO Romania_ _ RON29 Spaln'''''''''H"..",,_.€6.50AustriL __ ._._U.50 Cyprus .._.__ . €6.50 Germany_ __ €6.50 Isra.I..._ _._.NIS43.00 L.banon __ lfI3.000 Nigeria Naira 1.700 Saudl Arabla Rials45 SWecl.n __.._.5KR66Bahrain ..__ Dinar4.50 Izech Rep _.CZKI99 Glbraltar _._..GlP4.70 Italy _ _ _€6.50 Lithuania..._._ .._..€6.50 Norw.y_ _..NKr66 Serbia._ RSD720 Switzerland __.CHFIOBelgium_ _ €6.50 Denmark __ ._.DKr53 sreeee _ _€6.50 Kazakhstan ..KZI1.285 Luxembourg __.€6.50 Poland ..__ PLN29 Slov.kia €6.50 Turkey _nt8Bosnl •... _ BAMI6 Estonla_ _._._€6.50 Hung.ry HUF2.170 K.nya _.J(Shs680 Malta _._€6.50 Portugal coNT._ ..€6.50 Sloveni •... _ €6.50 UAE _ ..Dlrhams 45Bulg.rl •..............BGNI3 Finl.nd _ €6.50 leel.nd ..IKr860 Kuwait. Dinar3.60 Montenegr •........U.50 Qatar _ RI.ls45 S.uth Afrlca R70.00 UK.... . .1:5.00

OnthecoverIfitis to survive, theEuropean Union mustbecome a lot more flexible:leader, page 9. As it marksits 60th birthday, the EUisin poor shape: see ourspedal report after page 42.Italy, host ofthe anniversaryparty, is the country mostlike ly to bring it down:Charlemagne, page 28

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••Volume 422 Number 9033

Published since September1843to toke part in "o severe contest betweenintelligence, which pressesforward, andan unworthy, timid ignorance obstructingour progresso "

Editorial offices in tondon and also:Atlanta, Beijing, Berlin, BrusseLs, Cairo, Chicago,Lima. Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, Nairobi,New Delhi, NewYork, Paris, San Francisco.Sào PauLo, Seaul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo.Washington DC

Leaders9 The future ofthe EUCan Europe be saved?

10 Corporate ambitionsAmazon's empire

12 Donald Trump andmultilateralismChina first

12 Sdentific publishingBreaking free

14 Open bankingVauLtingambition

Letters20 On Liberia, Charles

Murray, France, electriccars, dead words, theOECD

Briefing22 Amazon

Primed

Europe25 Russia in the Middle East

Desert bear26 Spanish art

Rebirth ofthe Prado26 France's election

Lucky Emmanuel27 Reverse Balkanisation

Acommon market oftheir own

28 Charlemagneltaly, the leaden-toedboot of Europe

Britain29 Terrorin London

Parliament under attack30 Attitudes towards Brexit

The harder they come32 Bagehot

Mayor ofthe Midlands

Middle East and Africa33 Yemen

Beggar thy neighbour34 Syria

The race for Raqqa35 Contraceptives in Egypt

Abitter pill35 South Africa

The thin robed line36 African rubbish

Plastic bantastic

United States37 The Supreme Court

Neil Gorsuch: the naturaL38 The FBI

G-man v POTUS38 Sedentary millennials

Explaining remaining39 Health fads

California freezin'40 NewYork's homelessness

Masses huddled40 Justice in Louisiana

Gremlins and phantoms42 Lexington

Denver's mayor

Spedal report:The future ofthe EUAfter page 42

The Americas43 Coca-growing in Colombia

An unwelcome resurgence44 Floods in Peru

Taking a battering44 Cuban pensioners

Hustling, cradle to grave45 Bello

Come together, right now

Asia46 Thai politics

Generals' disarray47 Political parties in Japan

The enemy within47 State politics in India

Agent orange48 THAADin South Korea

Here's looking at you49 Hydrologicaljurisprudence

Tryme a river50 Banyan

Trawler diplomacy

3

Ierror in London The attackon Parliamentwasjusttheso rt that secu rity servi ces hadbeen expecting. lt is also thehardestto prevent, page 29.Newterrorism fears will hitMiddle Eastern airlines andtheir passengers, page 58

The Trump doctrine Thepresident's foreign policy willnot bring America the greatnesshe promised: leader, page 12.MrTrump seems ben t onweakening the United Nations,page 54. What Americanbudget cuts might mean forclimate change, page 55

Amazon The world's mostremarkable company mayeventually be threatened byits own success: leader, page10. lnvestors think Amazon isgoing to growfaster, biggerand for longerthan almost anyfirm in history, pages 22-24

~~Contents continues overleaf

4 Contents The Economist March 25th 2017

Uber's woes The ride-hailinggiantis going through thebiggest crisis in its shorthistory. Can it stayin the fastlane? Page 56

PowerplayChina is spendingbillions on a huge projecttowin admiration and boostitsglobal influence. Can itsucceed? Page 51.The countryis increasingly comfortablewith theinternationalfinancial institutions, page 62

American mortality Economieshocks are more likelyto belethal in America: Freeexchange, page 68

China51 Soft power

Abig project to buy love

International54 Donald Trump and the

worldUSv UN

55 Cutting climate fundsLean, not green

Business56 Uber's future

Hard driving57 Bottled water

Liquid gold58 Business travel

The laptop ban58 Tyre manufacturing

Puncture repair59 Brazil's food business

Dead meat60 Construction firms

Building that wall61 5chumpeter

American shale firms

Finance and economics62 China's economie

diplomacyCloser to centre-stage

63 ButtonwoodSovereign bonds

64 Bangladesh Bank heistStill on the trail

64 American trade policyDone deals

65 Payments in EuropeLevelling the paying field

66 Donor-advised fundsGive and take

68 Free exchangeDeaths of despair

5dence and technology69 Open sdence

Time's up70 Judging research

Alternative truths71 Geology

The devils and the details71 Animal experiments

Dirty secrets72 Palaeontology

Old hipsters

Books and arts73 Traditional conservatives

Fight or flight?74 Identity and politics

What kind of somewhere?74 New immigrant fiction

This land is notyour land75 5upernatural fiction

Book ofthe dead75 Architecture

Modernism's mystic76 Chuck Berry

The man behind the wheel

80 Economic and finandalindicatorsStatistics on 42 economies,plus a closer look atmeasuring humandevelopment

Obituary82 Martin McGuinness

The means to the end

Communicating sdenceMedical research is poorlyserved bythejournals chargedwith disseminating its results:leader, page 12. Scientificjournals are now slowingprogresso But that is abouttochange, page 69

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