An outsider's fate

摘要

It would not be the first time the great powers had gathered in Potsdam to sort out the aftermath of a long-running conflict. The city, where the Allies divvied up Germany after the second world war, will this weekend welcome the finance ministers from the G8 group of rich countries. As The Economist went to press, Paul Wolfowitz, the World Bank's president, was still scheduled to join them. If he gets to Potsdam, it could be one of his last acts after a protracted battle to keep his job.