Philippe Legrain 🇺🇦

#EU leaders have just gathered for yet another discussion on how to make Europe's economy more "competitive". That's the wrong target; the aim should be to make the EU more dynamic. 🧵 brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/197…

#EU policymakers have options to ease the short-term pain, but they are limited. Longer term, though, accelerating the climate transition would enhance both energy security and business competitiveness. My latest for @BrusselsTimes brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/203…

Together these looks set to push up #inflation and depress economic #growth. #Stagflation beckons.

Will the #IranWar plunge Europe into recession? Amid unprecedented disruption to global oil and gas supplies, it now faces a triple blow of higher energy costs, inflated borrowing costs and increased uncertainty. 🧵 brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/203…

Read my latest column for @BrusselsTimes brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/197…

While many things need to change, at EU level there are 3 big growth levers: deeper integration in the EU's incomplete single market, lighter-touch regulation for smaller companies and innovative sectors, and increased investment, not least in venture capital.

#EU leaders have just gathered for yet another discussion on how to make Europe's economy more "competitive". That's the wrong target; the aim should be to make the EU more dynamic. 🧵 brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/197…

The caveat: if gold becomes a more mainstream financial asset, it may lose some of its safe-haven properties. Read my latest for @BrusselsTimes brusselstimes.com/1949906/the-ne…

And it can also offer a decent return. Ignoring the past year's exuberance, gold appreciated by an average of 9% a year between Jan 2000 & Jan 2025.

The price of #gold has plunged over the past week, but is still up more than 10% this year and has nearly doubled since the start of 2025. Is it just a #bubble? Or are there sound reasons for gold's safe-haven appeal? brusselstimes.com/1949906/the-ne…

Read this and weep. No wonder growth in Britain is so sluggish #planning @BritainRemade samdumitriu.com/p/anatomy-of-a…

My latest column for @BrusselsTimes brusselstimes.com/belgium/193733…

Third, develop & deepen partnerships that bypass US with: 1) like-minded powers, eg Canada, Japan, Australia & UK 2) emerging powers, eg India & Mercosur, and 3) cooperate with China eg on climate change. We need a fortress Europe militarily, but not economically.

After the #Greenland crisis, Europeans need to face facts: they can't rely on Trump to protect them from Russia; indeed, he too poses a threat. It's time to accelerate plans to reduce Europe’s military, economic & tech dependence on Trump’s America. brusselstimes.com/belgium/193733…