Most likely illegal price increases (64€ more than last year for my subscription; in 2024 72€ more than 2023), over 5 times UK or EU inflation rates, with no notification in advance, obligatory if there is an increase. Just debited from my bank, no explanation. Like every year...Fed up of arguing each year by email in French with usually incompetent people in the Paris sub contractor's office (I used to receive the magazine there). Also fed up with more and more of the coverage being American-centric, even the Culture pages now. The journalists remain anonymous, part of the Economist mystique but surely not de rigueur for a free press in the age of AI & co, and if you write a letter to critique an article you have to give your name and location! Very undemocratic, not what one expects from a free press. In the age of social media, few of us want to then be open to cybermobbing (women especially at risk, so am unsurprised to see so few women writing in); a great way for a publication to ensure they keep critical comments to a minimum. Most other publications of this calibre share (and moderate) comments and are more open to criticism. Some columns still good, so it's hard to give it up, and often a good tool for teaching esp with the audio & digital version, but definitely looking for alternatives. Also with less of the 'growth, growth über alles' economics worldview, which is simply out of date.
