As Europe battles with a harsh economic reality, it also struggles with the notion that the very future of the eurozone rests in the hands of a woman. Sometimes an image masquerading as commentary says more about the commentator – Steve Bell – and society at large than it does the commentated upon.

The semiotics of this image – run in The Guardian on Friday – features Angela Merkel in the role of dominatrix. For insecure men with cahoonas issues, such images are probably the only way of quantifying the German Chancellors influence in Europe without their already fragile sense of masculinity falling into ruins like the Greek economy.

Strong campaign work for The Guardian by WK from back in 2008.

You could call them brand values or life values: take your pick. Either way the messages just make sense.

Too young to vote? No probs. Old enough to vote? Then I hope you did, as last weeks elections affect all of us whether we get involved with the political process or not.

And if you were in any doubt what a hung parliament might look like, The Guardian website has put together a very impressive graphic interface that makes quite a convoluted picture just a little clearer.

The UK election results map is clean, informative and very easy to interact with – sadly nothing like the politicians we’ve just voted for.