Goodbye from France,

Almost four years ago, around the time that Russia’s Vladimir Putin was weighing up whether to invade Ukraine, we launched an experiment with this newsletter, every Sunday. Now, after nearly 200 weeks in which I’ve offered my views on global news stories, and sought and shared responses from many hundreds of you, it’s time for me to say farewell. I’ve stepped into a new job at the publication and will leave it to my successor as Digital editor to shape what comes next in this Sunday edition.

It’s a privilege to write for intelligent readers—and those who subscribe to The Economist are, by definition, members of a notably smart group. I really did read all of your messages, even if it was impossible to respond to all of you, over these years. And although I naturally welcomed emails of agreement, and enjoyed hearing your own observations when they chimed with mine, I also appreciated those who took the time to write when they disagreed. (Only a few were abusive!) Being able to disagree agreeably is, after all, a vital part of living in a free society. If only all of our elected leaders remembered that.

To encourage the next generation to this end, we are launching a Christmas appeal. If you are able to do so, I hope you will consider donating to The Economist Education Foundation, a charity backed by The Economist that teaches children around the world how to think critically about the news. The Foundation works mostly through schools and reached 500,000 children this year, helping them make sense of current affairs and disagree in considerate ways. With your help, we’re hoping to reach 1m children in 2026. Please follow this link to donate.

Now, as I normally do, let me direct you to some of our newly published stories. We look back at five of the biggest developments in financial markets this year (bad news for bitcoin enthusiasts); examine why Britons have a soft spot for Premium Bonds; assess the frosty relationship between China and Japan; and remember some of the famous people we lost in 2025. For a bit of fun, why not try Dateline, The Economist’s history game, our crosswords, or, if you’re feeling particularly festive, our 50-question Christmas quiz.

Finally, I asked for your expectations for 2026. Peter Brauns, in Ottawa, suggests that the EU should, next year, hurry up and find a “way of getting Ukraine to be a member of the Union in order to provide them with more support”. I suspect you are right, Peter. In an increasingly hostile world, Europeans need to find better ways to stick together. That’s a lesson for Britain, too. Gervasio Robles turned his attention to Asia, predicting trouble there, as “Taiwan will face some form of blockade, and, as with the EU and Russia, the United States will have no clear idea what to do” about China’s exercise of power. Again, Gervasio, I’m inclined to agree that trouble may loom, though I would hope an actual blockade is not on the cards.

With that, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and adieu. If you need to reach us, you can at economisttoday@economist.com.