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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 01/10/2026

My take on this: The EU needs to figure out how to cushion the impact (and how to pay for that). As a democracy, it has a disadvantage when it comes to bearing economic pain. Compensation can mitigate this and prepare member states for being more courageous than they would be otherwise.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 16/09/2026

#SOTEU continues the China trade debate right where it was before the summer break: VdL calls the trade imbalance ‘unsustainable‘, Highlights the €1bn trade deficit per day and a ‘China shock‘ to EU industry, stresses EU resolve to use its instruments if things don’t change. No big bang moment.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 15/09/2026

I'll be at the WTO Public Forum for the coming days, let me know if you're around! Focussing on plurilaterals, imbalances, esp. when it comes to China, and how the EU can help drive things forward now.

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Claudia-Dominique Geiser @cdgeiser.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

We talk a lot about Europe’s scale-up problem and its financing gap, but less about what comes next – the exit for founders and investors. Our new policy brief looks at Europe’s IPO market and why it matters for financing innovation. 🧵 bst-europe.eu/economy-secu... 1/

bst-europe.eu

How to Revive Europe’s Stock Market Listings

Europe’s ability to scale innovation depends on its access to risk capital. Closing Europe’s innovation gap with the US and China will be vital to Europe’s competitiveness. Innovative companies in Eur...

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 10/07/2026

I would add the structural imbalances - the Chinese model strongly favours production over consumption and exports over imports. Yes, this also happens in market economies (e. g. Germany), but the scale and intensity really isn't the same. Hard to imagine this in a market-based, democratic regime.

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Arthur Leichthammer @aleichthammer.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Great to see the Commission is developing a key missing tool that can increase political unity and strengthen EU trade credibility. @etiennehoera.d-64.social, @aslak.bsky.social and I laid it out last year with a transatlantic trade war in mind: www.delorscentre.eu/en/publicati...

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Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Full Merz quotes in the Bundestag below. He is signaling that he wants to use the leverage of the European market to enforce free and fair trade. This looks like a clear signal that Germany is on board for tougher measures against China. But the details will matter

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 06/05/2026

Very true - a stable deal with the US just isn't on the table because the US isn't interested, no matter how hard the 'yes' camp tries to push that narrative. The EU can keep blaming itself, we're very good at that, but it would be better to actually implement some safeguards.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 15/04/2026

On another note, I'll be in Tokyo to discuss trade, econ security and everything EU-CPTPP. Drop me a line if you're around and would like to have a chat (or know someone who would)!

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 15/04/2026

This point should be much more prominent when discussing CN investment in the EU - where does it actually add value, and in which ways? Those are empirical questions, and it makes no sense to base policy on just assuming them away. We don't live in econ 101 textbook world.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 02/04/2026

’The US shooting itself in the foot hurt a bit less than expected‘ really doesn‘t mean that shooting oneself in the foot is a good idea - especially as the original foot-shooting plans didn‘t even last a week.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 27/03/2026

Zeigt sehr deutlich, wie verengt die handelspolitische Debatte ist: Die Frage sollte sein, welche Werkzeuge unsere Probleme lösen (extremer Wettbewerbsdruck aus China, Zwangsmaßnahmen, Chaos in den USA). „Welche Abkommen brauchen wir?“ ist eine Folgefrage von vielen, und nicht die dringendste.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 20/03/2026

China shock latest - this should get a lot more attention. It's even worse than the year on year data suggests as the deficit jumped by almost 20% 2024 -> 2025 already.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 18/03/2026

If you care about any EU policy, chances are that money is involved. Great primer on the long-term budget and what to expect in the negotiations.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 12/03/2026

Jetzt beginnen die ersten Verfahren gegen die EU und andere wegen angeblich unfairer Handelspraktiken - Ersatz für die vom Supreme Court annullierten Zölle. Die USA sind daran interessiert, die EU weiter unter Druck zu setzen, nicht an einer Einigung.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 05/03/2026

It's almost treated as though breaking our own taboos (local content, joint ventures, investment conditionality) would already solve the problem. EU can do things that look radical when compared to the past *and still undershoot*.

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Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

And a salient point by @etiennehoera.d-64.social at the end - it's only going to get picked apart from here. So it would have been better if it had been more ambitious before EP / council got their hands on it...

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Sander Tordoir @sandertordoir.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Good debate between Nils and Shahin!

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 04/03/2026

The Industrial Accelerator Act is out. On public procurement in strategic sectors, it tries to square the circle: keep trusted partners in and China out. A few thoughts on the Commission’s approach in the proposal and the problem of China's transnational footprint:

single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu

Industrial Accelerator Act

Industrial Accelerator Act Regulation

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 04/03/2026

single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu

Industrial Accelerator Act

Industrial Accelerator Act Regulation

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 04/03/2026

Nach dem Merz-Besuch in den USA noch aktueller: Trump droht Spanien, das für (völkerrechtswidrige!) Angriffe gegen Iran Militärbasen nicht zur Verfügung stellen will, mit Handelssanktionen. Es wäre fahrlässig, jetzt den Zolldeal zu ratifizieren.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 01/03/2026

This undermines all other norms in intl law too. E3 can forget accountability for smaller violations (e.g in trade) if they ignore breaches of fundamental norms. And raises rule of law doubts internally: Intl law anchors the 🇩🇪 constitution (Völkerrechtsfreundlichkeit), or used to. This is bad.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 01/03/2026

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Claudia-Dominique Geiser @cdgeiser.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Weitere treffende Analyse von @etiennehoera.d-64.social zu Handelsbeziehungen EU-USA & was die EU nach dem Zollurteil des Supreme Court nun tun sollte.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 26/02/2026

EP is now the backstop of the EU's strategic position. Who would have thought, just a few weeks after the MERCOSUR debacle?

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 26/02/2026

Was kommt nach dem Zollurteil des Supreme Court auf die EU zu? Deals sind allenfalls Risikomanagement. Die Aufgaben für die EU: geoökonomisch glaubwürdig werden, sich nicht von Dritten ausspielen lassen, Abhängigkeiten abbauen. Heute in @faznet.bsky.social Weltwirtschaft: www.faz.net/pro/weltwirt...

faz.net

Zollchaos: Was die EU jetzt tun sollte

Auf die EU kommt eine Phase der Unsicherheit zu. Sie sollte sich auf weitere Handelskonflikte mit den Amerikanern einstellen und ihre Verwundbarkeiten angehen, rät ein Europaexperte der Bertelsmann St...

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 26/02/2026

We know that new FTAs wouldn't add a lot of growth for the EU - a deeper internal market potentially would. Read @cdgeiser.bsky.social on how to make more of one of the Commission's flagship initiatives, a 28th regime for companies 👇

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 25/02/2026

Auch industriepolitisch fatal: Wärmepumpen sind eine der Branchen, in denen Deutschland auch in Zukunft global wettbewerbsfähig sein könnte. Das wird aber nicht gehen, wenn es den heimischen Markt versenkt. Wir haben letztes Jahr untersucht, was Trumps Politik für Clean Tech aus der EU bedeutet:🧵

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Lucas Guttenberg @lucasguttenberg.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Unabhängig von den klimapolitischen Konsequenzen ist die Entkernung des Gebäudeenergiegesetzes industriepolitisch ein großer Fehler. Etienne erklärt, warum 👇

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 25/02/2026

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 25/02/2026

Really worth your time if you‘re interested in how the EU should fund innovation!

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 23/02/2026

Great stuff at such short notice. I would be surprised if this isn’t the end of the deal. The US side can’t (and won‘t) make any credible commitments, the legal case was always very shaky and this will not change by circling through all the different sections of the Trade Act.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 23/02/2026

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 20/02/2026

Will (some of) the tariffs be back? Probably. Will there be more chaos, especially if several instruments are used in ways they weren't meant to be used in? No doubt about it. Doesn't detract from the fact that this is a major loss for the US tariff agenda. Being able to take a win is important.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 19/02/2026

Easy to imagine the backlash, hard to see why this should be more problematic than what happens in a lot of legislative processes. Trilogue conclusions don't exist in 24 official languages.

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Thorsten Benner @tbenner.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Größte Wirtschaftsdelegation seit Merkels erster Amtszeit begleitet Merz. Doch die Ähnlichkeit trügt. Heute sind Unternehmen wie VW & Mercedes auch chinesische Unternehmen. Was ihrer "in China, for China & rest of world"-Strategie zugute kommt, hilft deutschen Arbeitern nicht unbedingt.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 17/02/2026

Sure isn‘t a legislative accelerator act

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 16/02/2026

Another middle power moment, but not groundbreaking: EU-CPTPP have a lot in common and there's scope for closer cooperation. Fundamental limitations are still there, and it certainly won't be an 'anti-Trump trade alliance'. Why and what still can be done 🧵

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

In normal times these technical details would prevail in shaping the narrative. But in Trump times where things only have a tennous connection with reality & narratives don't depend on delivery, that 'we can diversify', 'there's other things in the world besides US' feel like signal matters a lot

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 16/02/2026

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 15/02/2026

It'a systemic problem, but one in which China has a lot of agency now. This just shouldn't mean waiting for China to do something meaningful about it (which it won't in the foreseeable future).

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 15/02/2026

It'a systemic problem, but one in which China has a lot of agency now. This just shouldn't mean waiting for China to do something meaningful about it (which it won't in the foreseeable future).

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 13/02/2026

Spot on - good that there's political momentum now, but there just isn't a ton of issues where smaller states drag their feet (and many where Germany would need to move).

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 13/02/2026

On my (of course delayed) way to #MSC2026 - do reach out if you‘re in town!

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 11/02/2026

Simplification will continue until morale improves

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 11/02/2026

Simplification will continue until morale improves

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Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Bazookas are, of course, well known for solving all problems.

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Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 02/02/2026

Big weeks for EU trade – MERCOSUR signed but in a limbo, India concluded, deepening with Mexico waiting to be signed, more in the pipeline. It’s also a good moment to look at the bigger picture: More trade agreements are worth doing in a power-based world, but they’re no game changer for EU growth.🧵

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