By It has to be said that Europe is no match for the melee of obstacles it faces. And on this muddy terrain, it can't count on its scrum-half, Germany. The eurozone's leading economy is likely to suffer more than its neighbors, crushed by, among other things, weak exports and a downturn in its industrial sector, the usual growth pack.
As for the rest of the continent, you already know the song (or hymn). In addition to energy and consumer goods inflation, rising interest rates, and the spikes of war in Ukraine, Europe is coming to the end of a summer marked by droughts on the one hand and deadly floods on the other. If governments didn't have enough to do to get their faltering economies back on their feet, here they are, back in their 22-meter lines again. The latest tackle: Saudi Arabia's decision to cut crude oil production, sending gasoline prices higher than the goal posts.
Will the team manage to convert the try in the third half? Among the good news, let's note the resurgence of some second-tier players: France and Spain should do better than expected this year, with growth revised upwards (to 1 and 2.2%). And we're counting on the support of the wingers (household consumption and employment) to ensure that we don't end up on the sidelines, or in the dressing room altogether.
