Happy New Year! Thinking about winding down your work in 2026? In countries with ageing populations, there’s a growing likelihood that many of us will be. But behind the dream of a cosy retirement, the economic reality is ever more complex.
As populations age, the number of younger people entering the workforce is shrinking – and that’s a big problem for “pay as you go” state pension schemes where employees fund the pensions of an expanding cohort of retired people.
Confusingly, a new poll of six European nations reveals how most voters can see this problem and realise their state pensions will soon become unaffordable. But at the same time, they also believe state pensions are too low, and are unwilling to support reforms to them.
Where do governments under increasing pressure from populists go from here? For our first big story of 2026, the Guardian’s Europe correspondent, Jon Henley, reports on a ticking timebomb for the continent’s social contract.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | The prospects for peace in Ukraine in 2026
As Russia inches forward on the battlefield and – despite Donald Trump’s optimism – peace talks remain deadlocked, Kyiv’s best hopes of progress may be on the economic and political fronts, writes Dan Sabbagh
Science | How great a threat is AI to the climate?
The datacentres behind artificial intelligence are polluting the natural world – and some experts fear the exponential rise in demand could derail the shift to a clean economy. Ajit Niranjan reports
Feature | Returning to the West Bank after two decades
The former Guardian correspondent Ewen MacAskill used to report frequently from the Palestinian Territory. Twenty years after his last visit, he went back – and was shocked by how much worse it is today
Opinion | Need cheering up after a terrible year? I have just the story for you
A single act of kindness reminded columnist Martin Kettle that, despite so much evidence to the contrary, the better angels of our nature are not necessarily doomed
Culture | The Brit boom
Whether it’s Charli xcx or chicken shops, UK culture is having a moment. Can it be future-proofed from the diluting forces of globalisation? Rachel Aroesti investigates
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What else we’ve been reading
• One of Victorian England’s industrial powerhouse cities, Bradford has long since languished in the shadow of its more glamorous northern neighbours, Manchester and Leeds. A year as UK city of culture brought Bradford a welcome injection of cash, energy and optimism – but, asks Lanre Bakare, can it make the legacy count? Graham Snowdon, editor
• The Guardian’s style guide is a vital document for those of us who work with words on the Weekly. It advises us in our attempts to achieve consistency of language, so the break between Christmas and New Year (rather than the dreadfully named Twixmas) felt a good time for its new editors to remind us of its importance. Anthony Naughton, assistant editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Audio | Science Weekly: why do we age in dramatic bursts, and what can we do about it?
• Video | How the Guardian reported 2025, with editor-in-chief Katharine Viner
• Gallery | ‘The sight of it is still shocking’: 46 photos that tell the story of the century so far
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