Skeptical

Wonks Won't Save Europe

The region still needs charismatic leaders.

It’s not often that you find a Star Trek reference in the typically stodgy Financial Times, but for the Euro-crisis it's made an exception. With Greece and Italy both looking to replace their fallen prime ministers with technocratic economists, an incredulous Robert Shrimsley opines that “it is as if the crew of the Starship Enterprise had concluded that Captain Jean-Luc Picard is no longer the man for the job and that it is time to send for the Borg.” Political charisma may be overrated, but at least skilled politicians know how to make their solutions a reality; not so with the Frankfurt-endorsed wonks looking to take control.