Editor's Picks: The triple shock facing Europe's economy

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  The Economist Hi, Jason Palmer here.

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  I host The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs show.

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  Welcome to Editor's Picks.

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  Here's an article we thought you might enjoy,

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  handpicked from the latest edition of The Economist and read aloud.

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  Europe is not known for its dynamism, but today it looks stagnant by any standard.

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  Frazzled by the energy shock that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022,

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  the European Union's economy has grown by only 4% this decade,

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  compared with 8% in America.

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  Since the end of 2022, neither it nor Britain has grown at all.

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  If that were not bad enough, Europe faces a surge of cheap imports from China,

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  which, while benefiting consumers,

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  could harm manufacturers and increase social and industrial strife.

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  And within a year, Donald Trump could be back in the White House,

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  slapping huge tariffs on Europe's exports.

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  The timing of Europe's misfortune is bad.

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  The continent needs strong growth in order to help fund more defence spending,

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  especially since American support for Ukraine has dried up and to meet its green energy goals.

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  Its voters are increasingly disillusioned and liable to back hard-right parties such as the Alternative for Germany.

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  And long-standing drags on growth, a fast-aging population,

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