In unglamorous, non-export oriented services Germany is in a much sorrier state.

ECONOMIST: Germany��s economic model

The Liberals, with 41.5% of the vote, won 177 of the then 295 seats, while the sorry 16% of the ruling, once mighty Conservatives brought them a still sorrier haul of seats: just two.

ECONOMIST: A chance to even up old scores

The markets apparently regard me as a worse credit risk than the government of the world's eighth largest economy - largely because individuals have a sorrier history in general of repaying what they owe than the public sectors of first-rank developed economies.

BBC: Who would you lend to �C Italy or Peston?