How should we solve our immediate problem of deciding when an economy has progressed from emerging to advanced status? Our economics team could perhaps vote each year on which economies deserved promotion or relegation. An alternative, more in tune with The Economists philosophy, could be to let the market decide. There is excess demand for a limited number of slots on our developed economies page, so these slots could be auctioned to the highest bidder. But a word of warning: promotion to a higher league is not always cause for celebration. Mexico joined the OECD in 1994, just before the “tequila” financial crisis.

도저히 이해가 안되서요.
밑에서 네번째줄 끝에 보면 the highest bidder 가 나오는 데요, 이게 무슨 뜻으로 쓴 건지요. 정말로 이카너미스트지 선진국 지표란에 나오기 위해 해당국가에서 돈을 지불한다는 건지요. 잘 모르겠습니다. 조언 부탁드립니다.