To Our Readers

Surely the most enviable job in journalism is that of our Paris bureau chief, Thomas Sancton. Not only does he live in and cover the City of Light, he is also responsible for TIME's coverage of Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and, of course, France. And perhaps the second-most desirable job belongs to Greg Burke, our Rome correspondent, who follows the trends in Italian politics, business and technology in addition to keeping track of the intricacies of the Vatican. For much of the past decade, these two fortunate fellows have followed one of the most interesting stories in Europe: the rise...