Is Europe becoming uninvestable?

[Dalal.Holdings]

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/11/18/france-germany-support-simplification-push-for-digital-rules-as-commission-preps-revision-

 

Quote

France and Germany support simplification push for digital rules as Commission preps AI Act review

Quote

The Commission, with French-German backing, plans to ease AI and data rules to ease the burdens on European companies. Members of Parliament and NGOs fear it will open “pandora’s box” of negative ramifications.

The NGOs in Europe, full of elite, mostly leftist folks who went to university for useless degrees, are among the worst forces in Europe responsible for the economic quagmire of the continent. They egged on shut down nuclear in Germany, migrant crisis, regulating their industries to death for AI, deforestation, GDPR, etc. They are the lobbyists that EU bureaucrats love to listen to instead of ASML, Mistral, etc who they view as "corrupt corporations"...

 

It seems like the crisis is leaving the more pragmatic folks no choice but to go against these NGO type forces...and they should be praised for doing so

 

Quote

The European Commission has been working for months on a new proposal to “simplify” rules, reduce administrative burden for companies, in particular SMEs, which struggle to comply with complex EU rules, to keep talent in Europe and stay competitive in a global race.

 

The Commission, supported by France and Germany, hopes that the digital simplification plan that will be announced on Wednesday, after months of negotiations, will “save billions of euros and boost innovation”.

 

Quote

Still, members of the European Parliament fear that the Commission’s proposal will open “pandora's box”, increase risks for consumers and ultimately benefit US Big Tech.

Quote

 

Members of the European Parliament from political groups ranging from the traditional majority, which includes The Left and centrist-liberal Renew, have already signalled their intention to vote against the proposal. 

 

Quote

A letter signed by three major NGOs and addressed to Commissioner Henna Virkkunen reads, “the legislative changes now contemplated go far beyond mere simplification. They would deregulate core elements of the GDPR, the e-Privacy framework and AI Act, significantly reducing established protections.”

 

The leftist groups and NGOs are opposed to deregulation...is anyone surprised ? Taking away every website asking about permission for cookies somehow "undermines fundamental rights"... these guys are truly clueless

 

[cubsfan]

2 minutes ago, Dalal.Holdings said:

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/11/18/france-germany-support-simplification-push-for-digital-rules-as-commission-preps-revision-

 

The NGOs in Europe, full of elite, mostly leftist folks who went to university for useless degrees, are among the worst forces in Europe responsible for the economic quagmire of the continent. They egged on shut down nuclear in Germany, migrant crisis, regulating their industries to death for AI, deforestation, GDPR, etc. They are the lobbyists that EU bureaucrats love to listen to instead of ASML, Mistral, etc who they view as "corrupt corporations"...

 

It seems like the crisis is leaving the more pragmatic folks no choice but to go against these NGO type forces...and they should be praised for doing so

 

 

 

The leftist groups and NGOs are opposed to deregulation...is anyone surprised ? Taking away every website asking about permission for cookies somehow "undermines fundamental rights"... these guys are truly clueless

 

 

Yeah, we're going to shut down all the natural gas and nuclear plants so we can be totally dependent on insufficient wind & solar energy.  We will make energy so frickin' expensive that when the AI opportunities come around - there is not a chance in hell that we will have any reasonable chance to power the AI revolution.

 

But don't worry about us - cause while entrepreneurs/citizens can't pay for energy - and force you to cut back - we will fly our private jets all day long to our seaside villas and blast our air conditioners in Brussels.

 

But don't you dare question our Climate Change orthodoxy!

[Dalal.Holdings]

https://www.theverge.com/news/823788/europe-cookie-prompt-browser-changes-proposal
 

“The European Commission wants browsers to manage cookie preferences instead of pop-ups on every website”

 

 

 

The problem with regulators is when they write bad regulations, it takes them a decade+ to fix it (if ever).

 

It took pressure from mostly U.S. tech, an existential crisis where Europe has fallen far behind U.S. and China in tech to convince EU regulators to do this common sense step that should have been done long ago.

 

These regulators are really really bad for Europe--not to mention the politicians, interest groups (like NGOs) that also did their part in creating this nonsense...

 

 

Edited November 19, 2025 by Dalal.Holdings

[Dalal.Holdings]

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/europe-must-not-cede-digital-sphere-us-china-warns-germanys-merz-2025-11-18/

 

Quote

Europe must not cede digital sphere to US, China, warns Germany's Merz

 

It seems lately Merz is trying to fight every self-inflicted crisis that has befallen the continent due to atrocious decisions made the past decade by European leaders. Europe's widening tech gap w U.S./China. No real military forces to defend the continent. Infrastructure in Germany in shambles. Energy crisis. German automakers getting wrecked. Overall economic stagnation.

 

And yet, just about all of these crises were (and continue to be) self-inflicted largely by the leaders of the past decade in the continent...and the fact that some Europeans still fail to acknowledge them or how to solve them is astounding...

 

Edited November 19, 2025 by Dalal.Holdings

[Spekulatius]

I haven’t seen much about the Nexperia saga here. Nexperia is a fairly low tech auto chips supplier located in Europe. It was taken over by Wingtech, a Chinese co, which seems to have hollowed out the business and moved the backend (testing and packaging) to China and was about to move almost the entire critical production and R &D to China later. In late September, the Dutch government took control of the business, also based on the fact that the owner Wingtech is now blacklisted by the US government. China then instituted export control which basically prevented the company to hip the complete product back to Europe causing shortages.

 

It quite an example how China seems to conduct targeted corn too of criticism components on supply chains and then

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/business/netherlands-cedes-control-nexperia-intl

 

[John Hjorth]

32 minutes ago, Spekulatius said:

I haven’t seen much about the Nexperia saga here. Nexperia is a fairly low tech auto chips supplier located in Europe. It was taken over by Wingtech, a Chinese co, which seems to have hollowed out the business and moved the backend (testing and packaging) to China and was about to move almost the entire critical production and R &D to China later. In late September, the Dutch government took control of the business, also based on the fact that the owner Wingtech is now blacklisted by the US government. China then instituted export control which basically prevented the company to hip the complete product back to Europe causing shortages.

 

It quite an example how China seems to conduct targeted corn too of criticism components on supply chains and then

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/business/netherlands-cedes-control-nexperia-intl

 

Thank you for sharing here, @Spekulatius,

 

I've never heard of this before, and it certainly hasen't hit any news media up here in the North of Europe. This is really concerning stuff.

[Dalal.Holdings]

Man, I guess Free Trade is not always good, especially with an authoritarian country like China.

 

Somebody alert the World Economic Forum and distinguished economists around the world...

[Spekulatius]

23 minutes ago, Dalal.Holdings said:

 

Man, I guess Free Trade is not always good, especially with an authoritarian country like China.

 

Somebody alert the World Economic Forum and distinguished economists around the world...

This is not free trade though. The issue here at hand is that the Dutch government allowed the. Chinese to take over a seemingly low tech but critical component of the automobile supply chain. the components are diodes and simple Ic but they are to some extent customized toward auto and cannot be replaced quickly. They cost in the order of 5-10c each,  it without them production lines had to be slowed down and $50k cars can’t be build

 

The reaction of Chinese government to wrestle control away from the controversial CEO means that his plan had their backing and what Wingtech did had their backing. So the EU has to be really careful here .

Edited November 20, 2025 by Spekulatius

[Dalal.Holdings]

Is that morning in Europe ?

 

 

 

 

[Dalal.Holdings]

22 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

This is not free trade though. The issue here at hand is that the Dutch government allowed the. Chinese to take over a seemingly low tech but critical component of the automobile supply chain. the components are diodes and simple Ic but they are to some extent customized toward auto and cannot be replaced quickly. They cost in the order of 5-10c each,  it without them production lines had to be slowed down and $50k cars can’t be build

 

The reaction of Chinese government to wrestle control away from the controversial CEO means that his plan had their backing and what Wingtech did had their backing. So the EU has to be really careful here .

 

I guess the real criticism is globalization which to me has wide overlap with Free Traders. At the end of the day, this philosophy was pushed by World Economic Forum, a bunch of economists at prominent universities, and elites around the world. It started when China was admitted to the WTO and snowballed from there. They used to say things like "well Adam Smith said trade is good and nations should specialize, so it's fine if China takes this over from us".

 

They pushed this as a good thing for everyone as blue collar folks lost their jobs, wealth inequality widened, and strategic sectors were coopted by China (or in Germany's case, its energy generation outsourced to Russia and its auto technology and high end manufacturing IP taken by China). The fox was let into the henhouse...

 

Then a guy named Trump got elected in 2016 and it turns out that some of his views on protectionism, trade barriers (esp in strategic sectors) was spot on, even though his "well educated" critics will never admit it.

 

Edited November 21, 2025 by Dalal.Holdings

[cubsfan]

Our so-called expert class in academia in the USA are a joke too.

[NnnnotSoSmart]

Jonathan Oppenheimer Says the UK economy is “uninvestable”

 

 

[Spekulatius]

4 hours ago, NnnnotSoSmart said:

Jonathan Oppenheimer Says the UK economy is “uninvestable”

 

 

 

Everthing that is called “uninvestible” deserves a hard look. Fish where the fish are, not where the others fisherman are.

[John Hjorth]

The presumptuous culprit prefers taboo over death, suicide with honor [harakiri, French style [<- , I coulden't help it!]] - My God, this is the stupiest thingy I have read for long! -Business friendly? :

 

Oeno [August 27^th 2025] : Is the Bordeaux AOC Under Attack?

 

also :

 

Decanter - Wine News [August 26^th 2025] : Top Pomerol wine estate quits Bordeaux appellation system on eve of harvest

 

Subtitle : Château Lafleur has announced that, beginning with the 2025 vintage, it will no longer produce wines under the appellations of Pomerol and Bordeaux, instead designating all six of its labels as Vin de France.

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

It's about warming in the Bordeaux district, killing wine plants, because of rigid AOC framework, the neccesity of leaving to survive as a business family, about forbidden watering, coverage of soil with bark to prevent evaporation, planting distance, and rigid rules for nursing and maintaining existing life stocks on roots, wine plants.

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

I coulden't find the original press release, the family is quite aloof, buttomed up, under the radar and out of the limelight, minding its own business, literally :

 

Chateau Lafleur - Société Agricole de Lafleur - Gainaudeau,Vignerons, Properitaire

 

Wikipedia : Château Lafleur

 

No flashy and glossy website, no marketing, just winegrowers, farmers, peasants, pawns doing their very best to get along and to get by and exist to their very best. Tremendous successfull at their craft, each bottle  Lafleur sells itself, here goes for in the range DKK 10 K - DKK 20 K. [USD 1  ~ DKK 6.5]

[Gregmal]

16 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

Everthing that is called “uninvestible” deserves a hard look. Fish where the fish are, not where the others fisherman are.

Anyone who fishes knows that the presence of other fisherman generally indicates that this is where the fish are. Just saying. 

[John Hjorth]

18 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

Everthing that is called “uninvestible” deserves a hard look. Fish where the fish are, not where the others fisherman are.

 

1 hour ago, Gregmal said:

Anyone who fishes knows that the presence of other fisherman generally indicates that this is where the fish are. Just saying. 

[Dalal.Holdings]

I'm not going to fish in certain ponds even if they contain fish. I would never invest in Russia and I don't invest in China due to major governance issues. Though I am currently invested, Europe could end up the same way.

 

Europeans (incl the UK) need to decide if they actually want capitalism.

 

Right now, they think they have good quality of life (welfare state) and can sustain it without capitalism. They think that big tech is evil. They think that the wealthy are bad. They think military forces/nationalism is bad. They think any industry that creates CO2 is bad.

 

The problem is that they do not realize that if they give up these things, their quality of life (welfare state) is going to eventually go away as well.

 

The Ukraine situation should be an eye opener if any of them are paying attention. If they continue on this path, they will have no seat at the table. No say in global affairs that concern even their own continent. I mean, look at the COP summit. Look at G20 now. No one really cares what European leaders say or do.

 

Right now, they are just coasting on benefits earned in the past without realizing that the clock is ticking.

[Spekulatius]

10 minutes ago, Dalal.Holdings said:

I'm not going to fish in certain ponds even if they contain fish. I would never invest in Russia and I don't invest in China due to major governance issues. Though I am currently invested, Europe could end up the same way.

 

Europeans (incl the UK) need to decide if they actually want capitalism.

 

Right now, they think they have good quality of life (welfare state) and can sustain it without capitalism. They think that big tech is evil. They think that the wealthy are bad. They think military forces/nationalism is bad. They think any industry that creates CO2 is bad.

 

The problem is that they do not realize that if they give up these things, their quality of life (welfare state) is going to eventually go away as well.

 

The Ukraine situation should be an eye opener if any of them are paying attention. If they continue on this path, they will have no seat at the table. No say in global affairs that concern even their own continent. I mean, look at the COP summit. Look at G20 now. No one really cares what European leaders say or do.

 

Right now, they are just coasting on benefits earned in the past without realizing that the clock is ticking.

I very much agree with this.

 

I would also point out that the USA does not look risk free either. We have an interesting flavor of crony capitalism with autocratic elements sprinkled in. This makes the US more similar to China (which has Manchester capitalism in many areas but also government control in areas the CCP cares about).

[John Hjorth]

@Dalal.Holdings,

 

As you already know, I object - fiercely! - against the your general line of postings in this topic, however I've sensed and observed your posts in this topic has become less biased as of lately, in my overall personal opinion.

 

Yet, it's all about dayly life conditions for European habitants and residents, citizens.

 

It's also about proportions and dimensions of living on our shared planet , in the part of it here callled Europe, in the solar system, of which our solar system is an integrated part,  that modest, immaterial planet being an intregral part of a pretty stable system, by its separate contribution to stablility to the whole system over thousand of years [from our own by that yeard stick very short sighted perspective of how things fundamentally seems to work, by now.) We're all born to last last likely less than 100 years, a short pause in universal time, all while we all practice setting up time alarms and short term deadlines on to-do things in our personal lives,while the universe has all the time needed avialable, whatever, look at things done, and yet still patiently waiting for things to get done!

 

In the end, finally, our future succcesors will eventually burn up, by the Suns iron core gradually swolling the human populatiom at that time, when it'actually a proposed, but  obviously a burning turd ball ! 

 

Not about i.e. attached screw capsules, that I live with here on my A38 youghurt, but not on our milk, bacause the Lady of the house is very cost conscious.

Edited November 23, 2025 by John Hjorth

[Charlie]

14 hours ago, Dalal.Holdings said:

Europeans (incl the UK) need to decide if they actually want capitalism.

 

Right now, they think they have good quality of life (welfare state) and can sustain it without capitalism. They think that big tech is evil. They think that the wealthy are bad. They think military forces/nationalism is bad. They think any industry that creates CO2 is bad.

 

These are totally oversimplified platitudes like "all americans are Trump fans" or something like that.

Have you ever been in Europe?

The opinions of people are as diverse as in the US.

The problem with this totally simplified platitudes is that you are not convincing anybody here, but you are hammering these ideas

deeper in your head and repeat them endlessly in this thread. 

 

Of course there are problems in Europe, but we have a good functioning democracy, no ICE, no gun problem and no fentanyl problem.

You can live very good in Europe, perhaps better than in the U.S. 

 

[Dalal.Holdings]

1 minute ago, Charlie said:

 

These are totally oversimplified platitudes like "all americans are Trump fans" or something like that.

Have you ever been in Europe?

The opinions of people are as diverse as in the US.

The problem with this totally simplified platitudes is that you are not convincing anybody here, but you are hammering these ideas

deeper in your head and repeat them endlessly in this thread. 

 

Of course there are problems in Europe, but we have a good functioning democracy, no ICE, no gun problem and no fentanyl problem.

You can live very good in Europe, perhaps better than in the U.S. 

 

 

Honestly, when I read takes like these from @Charlie , it makes me most worried about investing in Europe. Because it tells me that a lot of Europeans really don't understand the mess they are in.

 

Please tell me what ideas I am hammering in my head? Does Europe have some hidden tech champions I have never heard of? Are the EU regulations from the past decade "just in my head"? Lack of diffusion of tech into the economy, auto sector implosion, GDP stagnation, lack of independent & capable military forces, productivity issues, migrant issues, Draghi report, overall European stock returns all "in my head" ? Do you just ignore these figures? What about the rise of AfD/ReformUK/National Rally in the polls? Just in my head?

 

Yes, you can live a very good life right now in Europe. If it continues on this track, get back to me in 10, 20 years and let me know what quality of life is like in Europe (you'll have to exclude Poland though because they seem to get it).

 

And even today, the quality of life in Europe has diverged significantly from the U.S. Just compare salaries in different fields between U.S. and European countries.

[Charlie]

@Dalal.Holdings There are always problems.

People adapt to these problems and life will go on.

Over time the living standards will be increasing worldwide.

Some faster, some slower.

If you really want to grow fast, start with a lower base. 

[Dalal.Holdings]

7 minutes ago, Charlie said:

@Dalal.Holdings There are always problems.

People adapt to these problems and life will go on.

Over time the living standards will be increasing worldwide.

Some faster, some slower.

If you really want to grow fast, start with a lower base. 

 

Yeah yeah, just smell the roses and go back to sleep while the Chinese and Americans focus. One thing about Americans is we do not easily rest, even when things are going well for us. I'm afraid that a lot of the differences between U.S. and Europe are hard to change cultural factors. However, when the pensions and safety nets in Europe come undone, it might come as a shock to Europeans (prospect of raising the pension age is the one thing that gets the French to march in the streets)

 

The title of this thread is "Is Europe becoming uninvestable?" Not "Is Europe Livable?"

[cubsfan]

38 minutes ago, Dalal.Holdings said:

 

Honestly, when I read takes like these from @Charlie , it makes me most worried about investing in Europe. Because it tells me that a lot of Europeans really don't understand the mess they are in.

 

I think that's spot on - my relatives in France talk about the Islamization of France and what a disaster it has been for the French. They can see their country slipping away.

[Charlie]

1 hour ago, Dalal.Holdings said:

Yeah yeah, just smell the roses and go back to sleep while the Chinese and Americans focus. One thing about Americans is we do not easily rest, even when things are going well for us. I'm afraid that a lot of the differences between U.S. and Europe are hard to change cultural factors. However, when the pensions and safety nets in Europe come undone, it might come as a shock to Europeans (prospect of raising the pension age is the one thing that gets the French to march in the streets)

 

The title of this thread is "Is Europe becoming uninvestable?" Not "Is Europe Livable?"

 

I forgot one important point: My impression is that for whatever reasons the inflation in Europe seems to be much lower than in the U.S. 

 

Trump made inflation great again. 

Edited November 23, 2025 by Charlie