A polycrisis has shattered our world this year. But with care, we can put it back together

The author reflects on 2025 as the year plagued by social, economic, environmental, technological and institutional challenges, a period of polycrisis that created overwhelming pressure and global instability. She describes how democratic norms have declined, inequalities have widened and the liberal international order has splintered, leaving societies emotionally exhausted and increasingly divided into “us v them.” The author emphasises the essential role of honest journalism in sustaining empathy and argues that recognising what is broken is the necessary first step toward mending it.