Cristina Caffarra
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cristinacaffarra.bsky.social
Cristina Caffarra
@cristinacaffarra.bsky.social
Economist, antitrust expert, econ/tech policy commentator, keynote speaker, host Perfect Storm conference, convener CEPR Competition RPN, EscapeForward podcaster, Hon.Prof. UCL, founder/lead EuroStack Industry Initiative
🚞 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 organised their 3rd exceptional Summit on Europe's highest peak (w premium trip to Cervinia/Matterhorn 🚠).

Urgent discussion of Europe's woes. Fragmentation, war on Eastern flank, China eating our lunch, democracy, AI. But do we have any answers? plans? leadership? Not really. 1/
December 6, 2025 at 3:25 PM
The EC makes these kinds of “we matter! we will enforce!” statements every few weeks. Because, the rule of law. Zero credible. But reality is, it does not really matter in the scheme of things.
November 28, 2025 at 7:04 PM
#Escape_Forward Thanksgiving talk with the one and only Cory Doctorow 🧨

Pathologies of #Enshittification, how we got here, what it would take to cure it.

…a v different prognosis on the role of antitrust & regulation: Cory remains an optimist, for me the sooner we get off that monorail the better
November 27, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Just ahead of the #BerlinSummit on #European_Digital_Sovereignty on 18 November, a scintillating conversation on “Europe’s Quest for Digital Emancipation” w two of the most influential “cage rattlers” around, fully intent on awakening European tech: Rafael Laguna & Dietmar Harhoff.** 1/

Link below
Europe’s Quest for Digital Emancipation: Possible & Necessary
Europe is in the throws of an accelerating, urgent mobilisation around “digital sovereignty” – which does not mean protectionism and does not mean autarky: instead, an industrial project – le…
escape-forward.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:06 PM
🎙️ “Escape Forward” new podcast w the great 𝗥𝗢𝗛𝗜𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗥𝗔 just out: “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀” 1/

escapeforward.substack.com/p/the-new-to...
November 1, 2025 at 1:08 PM
In line w Aghion’s message:
“𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲, 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆. 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲, 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗔𝗜, 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵.” Amen

escapeforward.substack.com/p/the-new-ge...
The New Geoeconomics of Hard Power Requires New Tools. Will Europe Update?
This piece originates from a request by ProMarket to contribute to a forthcoming online symposium on the question: “Does a Globalized Economy Require Big Business?”.
escapeforward.substack.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Rich discussion of AI #acquihires (when are they a problem, what shld antitrust do?) turned into broader debate on “do we have a competition problem w Al & what is it?”

Fireside w J Kanter, fab panel @florianederer.bsky.social @igorletina.bsky.social @lugaricano.bsky.social I Marinescu, H Zenger 1/
October 13, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Join us next Wednesday for a fireside w Jonathan Kanter and a super panel on AI Acquihires. Details below!

@cepr.org
Change of format! Join us for a fireside w/ Jonathan Kanter moderated by @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social followed by an open panel discussion w/ @lugaricano.bsky.social @imarinescu.bsky.social @igorletina.bsky.social & Hans Zenger moderated by @florianederer.bsky.social.
#EconSky
October 2, 2025 at 1:50 PM
“Small ball”: “a strategy for progressing towards a goal by proceeding in small steps or by addressing small matters” (Webster defn)

We can either persist w the incantation that weak regulation/antitrust alone will deliver us choice & economic agency, or redirect to something else. Infrastructure.
When it comes to reckoning with US tech giants, European antitrust and digital regulation have been exposed as ‘small ball,’ writes @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social. The obstacles are formidable, but to secure its future Europe has no alternative but to build its own technologies, she says.
For Digital Competition, Antitrust and Regulation are ‘Small Ball.’ What Matters is Infrastructure. | TechPolicy.Press
The obstacles are formidable, but Europe has no alternative but to build its own technologies, writes Cristina Caffarra.
www.techpolicy.press
October 2, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Let’s get everyone upset in the European Antitrust Bubble.

We had massive political consensus behind digital antitrust and regulation for 15 years and we have not achieved a bean.

Just stop the magical thinking.

open.substack.com/pub/escapefo...
Antitrust (and Regulation) are “Small Ball”: What Matters is Build Infrastructure
“Small ball”: a strategy for progressing towards a goal by proceeding in small steps or by addressing small matters.
open.substack.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Nearly a year pushing #EuroStack, #DigitalSovereignty makes it to Franco-German Economic Agenda.

Chest-puffing fake-belligerence on digital regulation will not build us an #infrastructure.

Hope this is more than “hundred millions for meetings”. Digital is a critical industry like energy & defence
August 30, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Soooo. Digital regulation isn’t over, is it? Europeans rejoicing “yay us! No concessions on digital in trade negotiations! Enforcement will be back after the summer break!” Our lack of comprehension of what’s going on is truly astounding.
August 26, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Thoughts on Europe’s predicament. The tariff debacle is bad as submissions go, but we’re fighting trade wars on two fronts: China’s Second Shock is on us. Yet European elites are in denial & we lack policy responses at every level @sandertordoir.bsky.social

cristinacaffarra.blog/2025/08/12/t...
Trump’s Power Move Exposes Europe’s Decades of Policy Vacuum Across Trade, Industrial Strategy, Tech and Competition too
Here we are: very nearly a year after the Draghi Report thudded into Europe’s inboxes, both as a wake-up call and a roadmap But since then Europe has sunk deeper into self-loathing, impotence and a…
cristinacaffarra.blog
August 12, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Frank exchange btw Oren & Sander: how American conservatives currently see their role & Europe’s, vs a sober European perspective. Much more at play than tariffs & trade. The “civilizational” narrative in full view. Why bleating ‘we must enforce our digital laws!’ is such a waste of time. Wake up.
The discussion was expertly moderated by competition economist Cristina Caffara, who brought sharp insights of her own—especially on tech.

@cristinacaffarra.bsky.social
Had a fascinating conversation with Oren Cass, a leading voice on economic policy among US conservatives.

Rare to have such a direct transatlantic exchange on America First economics, tariffs, Trump’s China policy (is there one?), and where Europe fits in.

open.spotify.com/episode/6PKb...
July 18, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Had a fascinating conversation with Oren Cass, a leading voice on economic policy among US conservatives.

Rare to have such a direct transatlantic exchange on America First economics, tariffs, Trump’s China policy (is there one?), and where Europe fits in.

open.spotify.com/episode/6PKb...
“America First” vs the “Draghi Mission”: Is the US Upending the World Order, and Can Europe Make It?
Escape Forward: Connecting dots beyond the antitrust island · Episode
open.spotify.com
July 18, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Out now: #EscapeForward w Oren Cass, American Compass & @sandertordoir.bsky.social, brutal & clear. Diagnosis & answers, different world views. Must-watch for Europeans still thinking tariffs are abt trade, trade nothing to do w regulation, & “we must enforce our digital laws!” Everything connects.
July 17, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
I just had a really interesting long discussion with Republican economic thinker Oren Cass and @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social - to be released in a podcast this week - and I think this was one of the major areas where we disagreed.
The US is a market with only 320 million people.

It’ll need the EU, Japan, Korea, Canada and others to compete w China.

And collaboration out of free will always trump coercion imo.

So 'America alone' isn't a viable strategy to deal with China - and Autor/Hanson rightly criticise it

10/10
July 14, 2025 at 3:21 PM
As Europe got its "letter" (30%) from President Trump's #RandomTariffGenerator, I discuss w Oren Cass at American Compass & Sander Tordoir at CER_EU the conservative US view that "Europeans had it too good for too long" & the European diagnosis/response.

Fascinating conversation, airs 17 July.
July 12, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Meant to post this here as well. Let’s not waste time agonizing on definitions and blah. Want sovereignty? Who is going to build it? The bureaucracy? Think tanks? Civil society? Please.

cristinacaffarra.blog/2025/06/26/e...
European Digital Sovereignty is an Industrial Project.  Everyone Else Get Out of the Way.
It is oh-so-European that just when the imperative of getting more European assets to support our digital life is finally established (was staring at everyone in the face for some time, yes?), mult…
cristinacaffarra.blog
July 1, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
⭐Join us online for a high-level debate on merger control in Europe
Featuring E Tarantino, S Athey, @janeeckhout.bsky.social, P Heidhues, F Ederer, @tomasoduso.bsky.social
Moderator: @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social
14 July @ 17:00 CEST
cepr.org/events/updat...
@tomvalletti.bsky.social
June 16, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
“EuroStack”: How Europe Can Compete in Tech | "Antitrust will not restore Europe's competitiveness. Digital autonomy, if done right, could." @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social #TechPol
“EuroStack”: How Europe Can Compete in Tech
Antitrust will not restore Europe's competitiveness. Digital autonomy, if done right, could advance the EU's infrastructure goals.
cepa.org
June 3, 2025 at 4:53 PM
This will infuriate half the well-meaning Europeans on this site. So be it. “Saving Europeans from themselves is a full time job”.

cristinacaffarra.blog/2025/06/02/t...
The Economist Is Wrong Again on Europe –But So Are the Antitrust Do-Gooders
The Economist magazine’s Charlemagne column this week is a breezy piece in vintage Economist style: jump around, connect a few factoids, put forward a seemingly “contro” (and of course neoliberal) …
cristinacaffarra.blog
June 2, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
@cristinacaffarra.bsky.social and I also talk about the return of politics and ideology to economics:

youtu.be/b_KTmd1kC8c?...
30. Freedom from American tech masters
YouTube video by strategyaaron
youtu.be
May 27, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
@cristinacaffarra.bsky.social and I discuss:

- Why Britain and the EU failed to regulate them

- What actions we need to take to build a “Eurostack”

- How we can empower European companies without creating new tech masters

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
Freedom from American tech masters
Podcast Episode · strategyaaron · 27/05/2025 · 43m
podcasts.apple.com
May 27, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
New ep! I talk to @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social about her ambition to free Europe from depending on US tech companies

open.spotify.com/episode/1ayz...
Freedom from American tech masters
strategyaaron · Episode
open.spotify.com
May 27, 2025 at 5:42 PM