Sign in

Cristina Caffarra

@cristinacaffarra.bsky.social
2.6K followers 224 following 305 posts

Economist, antitrust expert, econ/tech policy commentator, keynote speaker, convener CEPR Competition RPN, EscapeForward podcaster and conference host/ producer, Hon.Prof. UCL, DG Grow Fellow 2026, founder/lead EuroStack Industry Initiative

PostsRepliesMedia
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“We urge you to urge us to stop”. Loved discussing this “second coming” of the frontier lab’s “regulate us please” with @ShaoulSussman, who was Director of Litigation at the @FTC when the same request went around first time…. Link here to #EscapeForward podcast:
substack.com
“AI Poses an Existential Risk to Humanity” – TAKE 2 with Shaoul Sussman
Former Litigation Director, US Federal Trade Commission, and Founding Partner, Simonsen & Sussman LLP
030
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Centre for Economic Policy Research @cepr.org · 28/09/2026
Join us on 16 October for an insightful conversation on European competition with Anthony Whelan, Director General of DG Competition, @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social & @tomasoduso.bsky.social 📆5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (CEST) | Online Register now: ow.ly/uWVn50ZS7Qk
042
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
substack.com/@ccaffarra/n...
substack.com
European Regulators Want a Say on “Pacing the Frontier” – Do We Understand the Game? Let’s Stay Focused on Building
The mission Europe must be focused on, aggressively, right now, is to rescue itself from the 20-year incantation in which we did not build the proverbial bean but tried instead to regulate digital pla...
053
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Had a long career in antitrust then moved onto a “second mountain” (tech/AI/sovereignty). Dismayed European antitrust is so barren. Europe is in a difficult place, yet we persevere w technocratic endeavour fiercely protected by self-righteous stakeholders. www.pymnts.com/cpi-posts/mo...
pymnts.com
Modernizing European Competition Policy: Dead on Arrival | PYMNTS.com
By: Cristina Caffarra   The world we live in is convulsed by the most extraordinarily far-reaching technological transformation, poised to either
030
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
escapeforward.substack.com/p/ai-soverei...
escapeforward.substack.com
AI Sovereignty is Stack Control, not Weight-of-Origin Fetishism
Until just a few weeks ago, the default assumption in Brussels and in most European capitals had become that Europe, as a laggard in local model development, had to submit to United States frontier la...
041
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The title reads like a politician’s typical exhortation. The original English (in /2) is spicier, whole point is Europe misunderstood the nature of Big Tech power: thought it was bad behaviour and we could teach them manners with regulation - was hard infrastructure instead. Total failure 1/2
legrandcontinent.eu
L’Europe doit recommencer à construire
Pendant quinze ans, nous avons cherché à réguler la puissance technologique américaine plutôt que bâtir la nôtre. Il est temps de changer de doctrine.
130
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
www.techpolicy.press/the-sovereig...
techpolicy.press
The ‘Sovereignty’ Narratives That Don’t Help Europe
Europe has the talent, the money and the capability to rise, writes Cristina Caffarra.
042
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
escapeforward.substack.com/p/on-the-pol...
escapeforward.substack.com
On the Political Economy of European Big Tech Regulation
The latest EC fine to Google for “DMA violations” (“self preferencing” of search results and restrictions to app developers seeking to “link out” of the Google PlayStore) elicited the usual chorus of ...
010
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. We can have a bright AI future leveraging domain expertise in mechanics, automation, engineering, high-quality data, open-source & next-gen AI. 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀.
project-syndicate.org
Magical Thinking Won’t Make Europe an AI Power
Cristina Caffarra urges policymakers to resist industry lobbying and bolster the continent’s technological independence.
1103
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Beware the unholy alliance against Séjourné’s IAA (parts of industry, US anonymous officials, neoliberal WTO relics in our think tanks) is animated by hyperscalers hiding the ball and throwing tonnes of lobbying against #digital_sovereignty.
substack.com
Sabotaging Europe’s Tech Efforts: Beware Neoliberal Relics Carrying Water for Hyperscalers
Making and Building in Europe is the Critical Path for Our Tech Future
197
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
So where is all the hysteria “they want to destroy European democracy!” “they revealed their true colours and Europe is their enemy!” - now? Said a million times they are Europhiles. Need to get this, enough moral high horse.
120
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
🎙️ 📣 Special 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄>𝗿𝗱 podcast - some of my highlights from a great day: "𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆", Brussels 28 January. 500 people in the room, thousand online, huge energy, enthusiasm & pent up emotion FOR EUROPE. 🇪🇺 Here distilled if you missed it escape-forward.com/2026/02/13/r...
escape-forward.com
Rebuilding Europe – The Highlights
Cristina Caffarra picks out the highlights and her key takeaways from the landmark “Rebuilding European Sovereignty” Conference – Brussels 28 January 2026.
153
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Autorité de la concurrence @autoritedelaconcurrence.fr · 26/01/2026
On 28 January, @bcoeure.bsky.social will join the closing session “Regulation, Deregulation, “Get Transactional”: European Rules in the Eye of the Storm” at “BruxConference 2026: Rebuilding Europe’s Sovereignty” organized by @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social in Brussels. bruxconference2026.com
022
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Curtain raiser for my conference on Wednesday. Note: it’s spicy. open.substack.com/pub/escapefo...
open.substack.com
“Rebuilding Europe’s Sovereignty”
Conference “Mood Board”
3103
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Stanley Pignal @spignal.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
All the coverage of the "digital euro" drives me nuts. The idea that we need "an electronic equivalent to cash: a digital currency that works in stores, online and in peer-to-peer transactions" sounds novel until you realise... we already have it! WE HAVE DIGITAL EUROS PEOPLE! THEY EXIST!
67510
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Ruffling a few feathers for the New Year… the takes out there on #EuroStack are typically terrible, so here goes some weekend read…
open.substack.com
Again: EuroStack is an Industrial Project
Among so many “bad takes”, let’s go back to base with a restatement of what the most urgent “mission” should be.
194
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Good piece indeed thanks Marloes de Koning @nrc.nl. The key point is we absolutely totally are on the move. Europeans are amazing. Not an ounce of anti-American sentiment, just admiration or my part. We left a vacuum and they rolled in. Now we need to stand up and build, fast.
3153
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
Not popular for sure with this crowd, but posting anyway. escapeforward.substack.com/p/a-shock-en...
060
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Good recognition of #EuroStack in Tagesspiegel as one of the developments that shaped 2025. Europe has the talent, the capabilities and the capital: 2026 will go “long on Europe” in digital. In great company. @tspbackground.bsky.social
261
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
But no one ever said it would be. Where do all these strawmen and hyperscaler astroturfing come from? Honestly. I will need to write on #EuroStack as all the takes on here are so bad.
221
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Good, right tone. Let’s be transactional too, not moralizing. And btw, civil society friends: he’s talking here of manufacturing, defence, trade. Not of your usual obsession with US social media. Frankly, praising the “courage” of our irrelevant antitrust regulators, cringe.
250
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Great wide-ranging discussion of Europe’s predicament. Includes talk of “Draghi mission” & why it’s unclear what competition policy shld be doing anymore: “Europe drunk kool-aid of hard-nosed neoliberalism”. Yet underachieved & has no idea where to turn 1/ paulkrugman.substack.com/p/talking-wi...
paulkrugman.substack.com
Talking With Adam Tooze
About Europe, Germany's malaise, and more
140
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆: the ONLY conversation to have in Europe right now. Stop the embarrassing hysteria on the U.S. Administration’s National Security Strategy. Focus on the work WE have got to do. Registration now open, free to all, in person and online. 1/2
274
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
🚞 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/
131
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
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.
140
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
#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
120
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
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
escape-forward.com
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…
130
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
🎙️ “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...
151
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
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...
escapeforward.substack.com
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?”.
143
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
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/
1124
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Join us next Wednesday for a fireside w Jonathan Kanter and a super panel on AI Acquihires. Details below! @cepr.org
110
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
“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.
076
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
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...
open.substack.com
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.
141
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
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
251
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
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.
171
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
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...
cristinacaffarra.blog
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…
0217
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
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.
041
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Sander Tordoir @sandertordoir.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
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...
open.spotify.com
“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
3102
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
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.
254
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Sander Tordoir @sandertordoir.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
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.
1203
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
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.
293
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
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...
cristinacaffarra.blog
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…
143
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Centre for Economic Policy Research @cepr.org · 16/06/2025
⭐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
0105
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Center for European Policy Analysis @cepa.org · 03/06/2025
“EuroStack”: How Europe Can Compete in Tech | "Antitrust will not restore Europe's competitiveness. Digital autonomy, if done right, could." @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social #TechPol
cepa.org
“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.
3378
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
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...
cristinacaffarra.blog
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) …
264
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Aaron H. Ellis @aaronhughellis.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
@cristinacaffarra.bsky.social and I also talk about the return of politics and ideology to economics: youtu.be/b_KTmd1kC8c?...
youtu.be
30. Freedom from American tech masters
YouTube video by strategyaaron
052
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Aaron H. Ellis @aaronhughellis.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
@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...
podcasts.apple.com
Freedom from American tech masters
Podcast Episode · strategyaaron · 27/05/2025 · 43m
112
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Aaron H. Ellis @aaronhughellis.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
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...
open.spotify.com
Freedom from American tech masters
strategyaaron · Episode
332
Reposted by Cristina Caffarra
Sander Tordoir @sandertordoir.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
We’ve just published a new report, based on our annual economics conference. It distils the big policy debates on the European economy post-Draghi, drawing on the brainpower around the table. Some journalist friends convinced me it’s worth sharing — so here’s a thread. 1/x
48641
Cristina Caffarra @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Some thoughts from me on “Unpacking America First Antitrust for Europeans” cristinacaffarra.blog/2025/05/05/u...
cristinacaffarra.blog
Unpacking “America First Antitrust” for Europeans
The past week has seen two major antitrust policy speeches given in the US by the new head of the Antitrust Division, Gail Slater, and newly confirmed FTC Commissioner Mark Meador:  AAG Slater…
121