Giulio Mattioli: An emerging problem for German...
An emerging problem for German soft power within the EU: the reputation for seriousness and efficiency is largely gone
Giulio Mattioli: Meet Friedrich...
Meet Friedrich. Friedrich wants the EU to stand strong on its own (when he's not busy praising the US president). Friedrich wants his country to have the strongest army in the EU. Friedrich wants to cut the EU budget by a lot. I am not sure what Friedrich really wants.Giulio Mattioli: Meanwhile, Italy has introduced...
Meanwhile, Italy has introduced a fuel price cap, Germany a tax rebate, just to encourage people to burn some more fuel. And Germany still allows drivers to burn fuel to drive at 400km/h, if they feel so inclined.Giulio Mattioli: European carmakers...
European carmakers: "Demand for EVs is lower than what we expected, which is why the EU should postpone the phase out of combustion engine vehicles sales" Also European carmakers: "You want to buy an EV from us? Sure thing, we can deliver it to you in 2 years from now!"Giulio Mattioli: How much bigger cars...
How much bigger cars have gotten over time, in one pictureGiulio Mattioli: It is fascinating how on this issue...
It is fascinating how on this issue - the cost of housing in urban areas - the reasonable mainstream centrist position seems to be "Tough luck, suck it up" (or "Tja" in German) Now compare that to the *absolute moral panic* when the cost of *petrol* increases a bit.Giulio Mattioli: The "dirty work they do for us"...
The "dirty work they do for us" (cit.) turned out to have some consequences we don't like. There is a word for this in German and is "Tja"Giulio Mattioli: This is unironically...
This is unironically, a common position in many countries including Germany and ItalyGiulio Mattioli: We see a similar rhetorical...
We see a similar rhetorical trick in transport: there should be no "anti-car" measures because people are dependent on cars in the absence of viable alternatives. Shall we then improve such alternatives? Of course not, we should rather invest in carsGiulio Mattioli: Very interesting-looking new study...
Very interesting-looking new study on car dependence impacts the acceptability of interventions such as pedestrianizations, bike lanes, superblocks, and school streets https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urbm ob.2026.100270Giulio Mattioli: For my freelance activities...
For my freelance activities I once had to get a certificate from a German notary which they read out loud at length to you and then put a wax seal on it. Then we chatted a bit and the notary said: "Can you imagine in Latvia you can download this from a website" and laughed.Giulio Mattioli: Just a few months ago...
Just a few months ago, European carmakers were arguing that market demand for EVs in Europe was "too low". But now everyone's worried about how Europeans are buying too many Chinese EVs, which suggests that European carmarkers' *supply* of EVs is too low. So which is it?Giulio Mattioli: Looks like East Germany...
Looks like East Germany is to Germany what Italy is to Europe. Generally seen as backwards or even maligned as a "failed state" - but then political developments happen there first, and then the rest of the country follows.Giulio Mattioli: If you have the time...
If you have the time, the energy and the resources to sue a baker for 10g lost of bread, you are way too comfortable in lifeGiulio Mattioli: If you live long enough...
If you live long enough you realise the right is always: - absolutely terrified by something happening in the present - absolutely forgetful and in denial about how they used to be terrified by something happening in the past, which is now mundane and normalisedGiulio Mattioli: The "European mind" discourse...
The "European mind" discourse is fascinating because Europeans are dumb for tolerating the inconvenience of, say, high temperatures and hanging clothes, but also for *not* tolerating the inconvenience of 4h commutes by carGiulio Mattioli: If you research climate change...
If you research climate change, you're very familiar with this. People will be uncomfortable with the implications of your findings (in terms of e.g., curbing travel activity) and that will motivate them to reject your study, either without engaging with it...Giulio Mattioli: Wow, in 7 EU countries aviation CO2...
Wow, in 7 EU countries aviation CO2 emissions are higher than those from cars, and in countries like Spain, Germany and France still more than 50% of them And yet in sustainable transport circles aviation remains a bit of a niche topic relative to cars https://transportenvironment.org/state-of-europ ean-transport/state-of-transport-2026/aviationGiulio Mattioli: Fascinating to see...
Fascinating to see higher tourism intensity in the Northern coast of Germany than in Southern ItalyGiulio Mattioli: Somehow people abroad...
Somehow people abroad think of Italy as a country with generous welfare state, but the new far-right party booming in the polls wants to scrap the little unemployment benefits that exist, under the slogan "Those who do not want to work should not eat either"Giulio Mattioli: Britain, 2026...
Britain, 2026, in the age of climate changeGiulio Mattioli: Trade partners like the US...
Trade partners like the US and France did not welcome Germany's trade surplus as “good and natural”, but Germany did indeed defend it not just as such, but also as a role model for any country. So there's that.Giulio Mattioli: EU & American institutions...
"EU & American institutions provided incumbent firms with policy access, enabling them to shape policymaking, leading to weaker policies and slower (clean-tech) transitions (while) Chinese institutions shielded policymakers from incumbent firm lobbying" https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2026.104885Giulio Mattioli: It's fascinating how...
It's fascinating how all of this was buried under the "the automotive interests are the country's interests" and the "keine Spaltung der Gesellschaft" precepts of unity. Making united front is Germany's blessing and Germany's curse.Giulio Mattioli: Someone should...
Someone should study Merzism as a utterly disastrous political strategyGiulio Mattioli: The economic discourse on Twitter...
The economic discourse on Twitter is confusing because you have people arguing that anything less than US-style capitalism makes you a failed state, but then some go "of course we lose against China, they are Leninist!" 😲Giulio Mattioli: With permanently campaigning...
With permanently campaigning, show-over-substance leaders like Meloni and Merz, divide and conquer works all too wellGiulio Mattioli: The same people that argued...
The same people that argued against climate as a policy priority are resorting to long-winded phrases such as "At least since the turn of the millennium, it's been common knowledge that European summers are going to be progressively hotter". I guess that's progress 😅Giulio Mattioli: Me: (try to play a song on the phone)...
Me: (try to play a song on the phone) Phone: Do you want to ask Gemini? Me: (rants out loud about AI being everywhere and everyone talking about it) Gemini: "I understand, there is a lot of hype around AI, do you want us to talk about something else?"Giulio Mattioli: I can think of a few ways...
I can think of a few ways in which this could backfire 😳Giulio Mattioli: Curious whether and how...
Curious whether and how this will be enforced when there are football gamesGiulio Mattioli: Schrödinger's Germany...
Schrödinger's Germany: The epitome of "hard-working" in much domestic and European discourse "A civilization that has become too lazy to continue" in US discourse (both perceptions are misguided by the way)Giulio Mattioli: When I point out the double standards...
When I point out the double standards in how Germany's exports and China's exports are covered, this is a typical response It's fair enough but raises the question: if China is such a dictatorship & enemy, why did Germany strive to export as much as possible to them for so long?Giulio Mattioli: If Germany were leading in electric...
If Germany were leading in electric vehicle exports, would we be pondering with concern about the "devastation" that that brings to other countries' industries and economies?Read more