After a week like Keir Starmer just had, what could one possibly do to cheer up the beleaguered UK prime minister? (Aside from his beloved Arsenal winning the Premier League title, that is.)
Perhaps remind him he’s not Friedrich Merz or Emmanuel Macron. Starmer may not be flavour of the month with UK voters or his own Labour MPs right now, but both the German and French leaders have barrel-scraping approval ratings that make the British PM look popular in comparison.
Even among the less-disliked European leaders, Giorgia Meloni of Italy and Pedro Sánchez of Spain are only marginally more liked than Donald Trump is in the US – and neither of them have started a war in Iran.
What’s behind this widespread disaffection for Europe’s leaders? Are they a generationally bad crop of politicians or have they been dealt an impossible hand of social and economic circumstances – or is it a mixture of both?
For our cover story this week, Daniel Boffey asks what Europe’s embattled leaders can do to reverse that sinking feeling. Then, from our UK political team, Pippa Crerar and Peter Walker look back on a week when Starmer was left looking increasingly like an interim PM.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photograph: Kenny Holston/AP
Spotlight | Xi rolled out the red carpet for Trump, but that was all
There was no swift end to the Iran war, uncertainty over Taiwan and only vague outlines of commercial deals – but the US president at least got to bask in the company of his Chinese counterpart, reports David Smith
Technology | Despite rise of AI, is there still hope for Europe’s translators?
A booming tech sector has disrupted translation jobs in publishing – but they could be needed for a while longer yet, writes Philip Oltermann
Feature | The sinister spread of France’s killer seaweed
After a series of deaths on the beaches of Brittany, one bereaved family set out to prove the foul-smelling bloom was to blame. Marta Zaraska investigates
Opinion | Normalising Reform UK’s ideas turns neighbour against neighbour
“Concern” about immigration has now morphed into policing how ethnic minorities exist in our communities, argues Nesrine Malik
Culture | How Backrooms upended the horror movie
It started off just as a creepy picture on the internet. Now it’s the year’s freakiest film. Steve Rose meets its auteur, Kane Parsons, and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve
What else we’ve been reading
It could be time for a book-buying spree. Photograph: Horst Friedrichs/Alamy
The Guardian’s new list of the 100 best novels of all time provoked extensive discussion in my household. How many have you read? I won’t embarrass myself by divulging my own total, except to admit there is considerable catching up to be done. Graham Snowdon, editor
Politidex is a Pokémon-like mobile phone game where players can build their own political party by “catching” local councillors and MPs. Having started life as an April Fools’ Day joke, the game’s mission is now to humanise both politics and politicians, says its creator in this interesting piece. Bowie Qiu, Marketing manager
Other highlights from the Guardian website
Audio | Stateside with Kai and Carter: Stacey Abrams on why gutting US Voting Rights Act is ‘evil’
Video | World Cup 2026: is it possible to walk to MetLife Stadium from New York City?
Gallery | Australia’s best blind bowlers compete for glory on the green
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