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The Future of European Competitiveness

commission.europa.eu

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Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#71

Post by RandomLensman »

frankjr wrote: post #61
the_mitsuhiko wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Probably not what the self patting EU clowns were expecting. I don't know who you have in mind with "self petting EU clowns" but in general people are very aware of what's going on. A lot of companies have been giving this feedback for a long time.

> I don't know who you have in mind with "self petting EU clowns" The politicians. > A lot of companies have been giving this feedback for a long time. Yeah, still got ignored as the report suggests.

And who elects those politicians? Does the median voter in the EU want high growth or rather something more like museum?

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#72

Post by [deleted] »

throwaway48540 wrote: post #43
2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Life expectancy? Happiness? https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2016/02/25/happines...

Try to talk to people instead of relying on some abstract numbers. "Yeah I'm so happy I have a job paying 500 USD per month, and I am so happy my 1.5-room flat rent is just 350" is a very common thing to hear where I live. The tax rate is 35% btw. Also, try to find newer statistics at least. 2016 was around the local maxima, everything went to shit - very noticeably - during and after covid.

[deleted]

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#73

Post by n_ary »

Here is an example(ragebait) rule from where I am in EU. Regulation dictates that, as an employee(FT contract), if I make something on my free time even, my employer can legally claim it as their IP/property.

While there are not many examples of employers doing it, but you will notice a pattern that many tiny innovations are born when people are unemployed or self-employed ;)

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#74

Post by narcindin »

izacus wrote: post #17
mxstbr wrote: post #3

Patrick Collison posted a summary of the results on Twitter in case you don't want to read the whole report: https://x.com/patrickc/status/1833127988512305352 TL;DR: "Mario Draghi's new report on EU competitiveness doesn't mince words."

It's also an American that cherry-picks a tiny part of a significantly more balanced report to drive their own viewpoint. As usual. Read the actual doc.

Patrick Collison is from Ireland.

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#75

Post by actionfromafar »

wiz21c wrote: post #6
AlanYx wrote: post #2

This is an astonishing document in the sense that you rarely see frankness like this coming out of the EC. It raises strong criticisms of a number of high-profile "core" regulatory initiatives, including the GDPR, DSA, and EU AI Act. There clearly is a fight building between the Thierry Breton camp and the Mario Draghi camp. For a taste of what is in here, see e.g., page 26 of the first document: >Regulatory barriers…

> Regulatory barriers constrain growth in several ways I fail to see why it is a bad thing. We need to curb CO2 emissions which, in some wya or another, implies consuming less energy. Limiting the growth would certainly beneficial and would allow us to transition to world where growth is less central.

We could have growth without CO2. It's "just" a coordination problem.

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#76

Post by robotcapital »

prof-dr-ir wrote: post #50
AlchemistCamp wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m curious what statistics you’re looking at. If you look at media real (inflation-adjusted) earnings, they’re considerably higher than one, two or any number of decades ago, even with the cost disease that medical and schooling sectors suffer from. Not only that, but wage growth has been faster for those earning below the median income than for those earning more. Absolute poverty rates have also fallen dramaticall…

> they’re considerably higher than one, two or any number of decades ago I do not think that is correct? This actually shows stagnation for at least 2 decades in real median household income: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United... Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United...

The comment you're replying to is implying real median personal income (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N), not household. Household sizes change over time.

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#77

Post by frankjr »

RandomLensman wrote: post #71
frankjr wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't know who you have in mind with "self petting EU clowns" The politicians. > A lot of companies have been giving this feedback for a long time. Yeah, still got ignored as the report suggests.

And who elects those politicians? Does the median voter in the EU want high growth or rather something more like museum?

> And who elects those politicians?

For the most part other politicians. A vote of a constituent every few years means very little, you don't even know for sure who gets to be a MEP, you give a "preference". For the remaining time EU politicians do whatever they want and you are just expected to take it. And if your country doesn't want to, they give you a penalty.

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#78

Post by RandomLensman »

frankjr wrote: post #77
RandomLensman wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And who elects those politicians? Does the median voter in the EU want high growth or rather something more like museum?

> And who elects those politicians? For the most part other politicians. A vote of a constituent every few years means very little, you don't even know for sure who gets to be a MEP, you give a "preference". For the remaining time EU politicians do whatever they want and you are just expected to take it. And if your country doesn't want to, they give you a penalty.

And that differs how from some national systems? How can the Commission do whatever it takes when the Council is the senior part of the executive when it comes to outlining policies and countries enjoy veto rights on a variety of things there (and can even leave the EU)?

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#79

Post by RGamma »

Workaccount2 wrote: post #53
silverquiet wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We can't defend ourselves, our economies are de-industrializing, we have right and left radical taking over political spectrum all the while our pension and healthcare systems are moving ever closer to a breaking point. Other than the defense part, the same could be said for the US.

The US has very rosy economic future projections compared to Europe, and frankly the rest of the world. Don't be fooled by sensational headlines and chronically online college kids complaining.

The US as a statistic, perhaps. As a collection of people... not sure, they seem pretty angry already.

Re: The Future of European Competitiveness

#80

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

wiz21c wrote: post #48
blackbear_ wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I fail to see why it is a bad thing. First page of the foreword: > If Europe cannot become more productive, we will be forced to choose. We will not be able to become, at once, a leader in new technologies, a beacon of climate responsibility and an independent player on the world stage. We will not be able to finance our social model. We will have to scale back some, if not all, of our ambitions. This is an existen…

From your own citation: > We will not be able to become, at once, a leader in new technologies, a beacon of climate responsibility and an independent player on the world stage. Important words here are "at once" == simultaneously. We'll have to choose. So I choose: "beacon of climate responsibility". In particular, I don't care being a leader in new technologies. Being and independent player is something where I can…

But you're dodging one of the big tradeoffs the quote describes. If there comes a time when you have to choose between climate responsibility and funding the European social model, would you cut pensions or medical benefits for the sake of the climate? Or are you working under the implicit assumption that the European economy will remain strong enough to do both?
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