They came, they jawed, they failed to conquer

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: so-called G5 (India, China, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa) over climate change may soon resemble management-and-labour stand-offs at their worst.

Perhaps such weakness was inevitable. Big challenges demand strong leaders. But if Mr Fukuda is weak domestically, Mr Brown looks little better. Mr Bush is a lame, unpopular duck. Nicolas Sarkozy of France struggles to comprehend how and why his voters’ enthusiasm has evaporated. In all the big democracies (as well as elsewhere) the three Fs have played their part in creating a mood of dissatisfaction. Leaders find themselves punished, and also hobbled, by the low regard in which they are held by their voters.