Europe

A loaf of bread costs one euro in the supermarket. For the same price Europe just bought 18 fighter jets

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A loaf of bread from a supermarket or basic bakery usually around the euro in many cities. An automatic coffee machine in stations, hospitals or universities is also found at that price (okay, not always). In supermarkets, seasonal fruits such as a large apple, a banana or a loose piece of fruit can be around the amount. Even a single bus ticket in some cities is still close to the euro. What we were never going to imagine is that what a loaf of bread costs, 18 fighter jets cost. A strategic transfer. The transfer of 18 F-16 fighters from the Netherlands to Romania for the symbolic price of one euro It is, on the surface, an administrative gesture, but in practice it constitutes a strategic move with direct implications for the European security architecture and for the war in Ukraine. The formalized operation the full incorporation of these devices to the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC), installed at Fetești Air Base 86, in the southeast of Romania, and whose function is train Romanian and Ukrainian pilots in the management of the F-16 under interoperable NATO standards. Further. The presence of these aircraft on Romanian territory no longer depends on Dutch ownership, which allows expand and secure training places, adjust training rhythms to Allied needs and consolidate Romania as a key country on the eastern flank, in a context marked by Russian pressure in the Black Sea and on the border with Ukraine. Romania as a hub. The EFTC has become a space where instructors, pilots and technical personnel from multiple NATO countries and Ukraine work under homogeneous methodsensuring that new F-16 operators not only learn to fly the device, but also to integrate it into air defense doctrines, airspace control and combined operations. The center benefits from a tripartite structure: Romania provides the base, infrastructure and logistical support; The Netherlands provided the aircraft, and Lockheed Martin, as manufacturer, supplies instructors and advanced maintenance. Implications in war. This combination facilitates training of ukrainian pilots in an environment that reproduces real mission patterns and also guarantees constant course rotation without depending on US airspace or dispersed structures. The fact that these F-16s are European AM/BM standard models, the same ones that Ukraine has begun to receive from various allies, allows for immediate continuity: what is learned in Romania is translated without transition to combat operation. Relevance for Ukraine. The nation has received commitments to deliver dozens of F-16s from from Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgiumand its arrival has marked a slow but cumulative turning point in the modernization of its air force, until now dominated by MiG-29 and Su-27 Soviet design. The pilots trained in Romania (and in parallel in the United States) are already operating on defensive missions against Russian attacks with missiles and drones, and the value of the F-16 depends on both its number and the degree of training and the ability to sustain its maintenance and doctrine. In that sense, the EFTC is a structural piece, since it guarantees not only initial learning, but continuous trainingthe accumulation of Ukrainian instructors and the doctrinal integration with allies who have already dominated the apparatus for decades. Furthermore, the future possibility of these same aircraft transferred to Romania ending up in Ukraine is not ruled out, especially as Romania moves towards adoption of the F-35planned for after 2030. Implications. Plus: The strengthening of the EFTC reflects a broader shift in European defense: The progressive reduction in the number of F-16 operators in Western Europe, replaced by the F-35, has left room to reorient these aircraft to training, interoperability and reinforcement functions on the eastern flank. Romania, together with Bulgaria and Slovakia, is part of the group of new F-16 operatorsbecoming recipients of capabilities previously concentrated in northern and western countries. This geographical shift of air capabilities towards the east is significant because it accompanies the shift from the center of gravity strategic of NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Training, maintenance, doctrine and response capabilities are now concentrated in territories closer to the possible confrontation. Other transfers. The symbolic sale of weapons between allies has relevant precedents that show how the financial price can be irrelevant compared to the strategic objective. The best known case is the transfer of 22 fighters MiG-29 from Germany to Poland in 2002 for one euro per unit, an operation that allowed Polish air capacity to be maintained while Berlin advanced in its modernization and that, years later, facilitated the shipment of those same devices to Ukraine. Another example is the transfer of former Hamilton class coast guard cutters by the United States to the Philippines. for a dollarwithin the program Excess Defense Articlesstrengthening Philippine naval capabilities in the South China Sea without a prohibitive cost. Added to this is the howitzer transfer self-propelled M109L from Italian arsenals to Ukraine, also under symbolic conditions, when the priority was no longer their accounting value, but rather putting proven, repairable and compatible systems with available ammunition in the hands of the Ukrainian army. At one euro. The sale for one euro It is not an isolated symbolic gesture, but the formalization of a capacity transfer process that consolidates Romania as NATO strategic node in air training and preparation, reinforces the technical base of the Ukrainian air force in transition, and reflects the structural readjustment of European defense to the east. He EFTC It provides not only pilots, but also doctrine, interoperability and operational continuity at a time when the stability of the eastern flank depends both on the number of aircraft and the quality and consistency of those who operate them. Image | US Air Force, Dutch Ministry of Defense, Romanian Ministry of Defense In Xataka | A very dangerous idea is gaining strength in the corridors of Europe: paying Russia in kind In Xataka | The war in Ukraine has triggered delays and canceled flights. And Europe has the solution: a wall of drones

Everyone agrees that we have to stop using gas. But Europe does not take any notice

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Europe is preparing for another winter by looking askance at the gas tanks and the thermometer. The heating they start to light up and the alarms, again, too. According to a report by McKinsey & Companyglobal gas demand will increase by 26% by 2050. The figure clashes with the scenario necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, which would require reducing consumption by more than 75%. The bridge fuel. In theory, Europe had learned the lesson after the energy crisis of 2022. But three winters later, the board still showing cracks. The main regasification plants in the Netherlands – Gate and Eemshaven – operate at 90% or 100% of their capacity, and their saturation “is the prelude to higher prices.” They are the gateway for liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Germany and a good part of the European industry. Meanwhile, Spain boasts of having the largest regasification capacity in the EU, with six active terminals, but it can provide little relief to the rest of the continent: interconnections with France barely allow the export of between 7,000 and 8,500 million cubic meters per year. The bottleneck it’s clear: the dependence is no longer on Russia, but on a few port infrastructures that operate at their limits. The result feels on the bill: The regulated gas rate in Spain rose up to 20% in October, but international gas became slightly cheaper, regulated tolls and the increase in winter demand drove up costs. Europe facing winter. The European Union enters winter with gas reserves at 83%the lowest level since the beginning of the energy crisis and ten points below the historical average. The European Commission had set a target of 90%which has not been fulfilled. Meteorologists, in addition, warn of a colder winter than the previous three, which could trigger consumption. Despite this, Brussels does not speak of panic but of caution. ENTSOG—the body that brings together gas system operators— estimates that even In a high demand scenario, no country would have to cut supply. However, he warns of a real risk: “A cold wave in autumn could increase pressure on prices,” especially as Europe compete with Asia for the available LNG. A future that does not deviate from gas. The panorama drawn by the consulting firm McKinsey it’s clear: Global energy consumption will continue to grow by 10% to 15% until 2050. Fossil fuels, despite the rise of renewables, will continue to represent between 41% and 55% of the world’s energy mix. And natural gas, far from disappearing, will remain the pillar of the electrical system and the chemical industryespecially in Asia and the Middle East. The energy transition, the consultancy warns, has lost speed. The priority is no longer decarbonization, but safety and affordability. Or, as the report summarizes: “The gas doesn’t go down, it just moves.” As the electrification of industry and transportation advances, gas demand remains a backup for the system, exacerbating the paradox: each installed renewable megawatt still needs gas behind it. Even in its intermediate scenario, McKinsey estimates a global temperature rise of 2.3°C, well above the Paris Agreement target. The way out: the flexibility that is missing. The consulting firm points to a structural solution: flexibility. Europe will need 75% more flexibility mechanisms before 2030 to integrate renewables without depending on gas. This study estimates that European companies They could capture up to 8 billion euros annually if they invest in demand-side response (DSR) solutions: systems capable of adjusting industrial electricity consumption based on renewable production. In other words, moving demand instead of turning on gas when there is no sun or wind. Several examples from the report show how this new flexibility works: a French paper company managed to multiply its reaction capacity by electrifying its boilers and using thermal storage. In the Netherlands, a greenhouse combines solar energy, batteries and electric boilers to make better use of its production and earn about 300,000 euros per year. And in the United Kingdom, a supermarket chain can reduce its consumption at times of high demand without interrupting its activity. Together, these solutions – batteries, digital control and intelligent systems – allow the electrical grid to adapt instantly, without depending on gas. Between two models. Europe has the generation of the future, but it continues to operate with the rules of the past. The electrical grid still depends on gas to stay on its feet, and transition plans are running slower than the thermometer. McKinsey warns that gas will grow by 26% until 2050, just when it should fall by 75%. It is the portrait of a contradiction: while science asks to slow down, the system steps on the accelerator. The coming winter will once again measure us, not only in degrees or reserves, but in political will. Because energy stability and climate stability, today, are already the same thing. Image | Unsplash Xataka | Europe has been working for three years to isolate itself from Russian gas. Two countries have decided to build a direct gas pipeline to Russia

from destroying its tree masses to being the third most forested country in Europe

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After decades of neglect, mismanagement and population exodus, Spain is today a European forestry power. In light of the data, reforestation efforts have borne fruit. However, not everything is good news: the Spanish forestry ‘miracle’ is accompanied by risks and problems that are very difficult to manage. Spain, forestry potential? Indeed. Spain has been climbing the European podium of forest area until reaching third position. According to Eurostat dataonly Sweden (28Mha) and Finland (22Mha) surpass Spain, which with its 19 million hectares is in record numbers. And in reality, we only count a small part of the forest area. In technical terms, not everything “forest” is “forest” and this is especially noticeable in Spain because, if we count the forest area Finland is surpassed and second place on the continent is reached. No wonder: between 50 and 56% of the country is considered forest area. Why is it important? Spain lost forest mass in a continuous and worrying manner from the beginning of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. The trend was so pressing that it began to be a problem: together with France and Germany, Spain concentrates a good part of Europe’s timber industry and overexploitation put the future of a good part of the country at risk. Luckily, the reforestation policies (and the rural depopulation that led a withdrawal of activity human productive) have caused this trend to reverse. It is not easy, almost two thirds of the forests are private and without active management; but as I say, during these decades the natural ‘movement’ of the Spanish forest was towards self-reforestation. That means that we are not always talking about “diverse mature forest” and ecologically sustainable. But, still, it is good news. Not all the mountain is oregano. Because, to begin with, poorly cared for forests, subjected to water stress, pests and indiscriminate logging, are sick forests. The evidence is clear: Europe’s forests have long they are losing the capacity to absorb carbon. Furthermore, since they are not well, everything becomes problems. Thus, what at another time would have been excellent news (a very rainy spring) become a ticking time bomb. Not for nothing, 2025 has been worst fire season. On the other hand, when we talk about forestry (with things like eucalyptus monoculture) what we find is that afforestation and increasing density can affect aquifers and finish giving the finishing touch to biodiversity. The big step we have to take. Little by little, humanity begins to realize that it is inevitable that it begins to take direct management of the entire ecosystem. And yes, it is something expensive, costly, and it cannot be stopped when there are economic problems. It is a very long-term project that, honestly, in a very polarized and in full energy transitionno administration can ensure 100%. However, it is a necessary project. That is, something that will mark our future in the medium term. And we’re not just talking about forests. Image | Mitchell Orr | Manuel Lopez In Xataka | The drought is so extreme that Catalonia has made a radical decision for its ecosystems: reduce rivers to a minimum

mergers are necessary in Europe

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Marc Murtra wears since March of this year at the head of Telefónica. A stage in which you have made key decisions such as the exit from Latin Americabut still without a clear strategic plan. The day has arrived and we already have here the ‘Transform & Grow’ plan that marks Telefónica’s path for the next five years. The plan. Draw the Telefónica roadmap for the period between 2026 and 2030 in four markets: Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil. It focuses above all on simplification and efficiency. Despite the Murtra’s aggressive speech regarding consolidationthe plan does not propose the purchase of any operator, but it is not closed to it, quite the opposite. Six strategic pillars. The name ‘Transform & Grow’ already gives clues to the objective: to transform the company, making it simpler and more efficient, to enhance growth. The strategy is organized into six key pillars: Improve customer experience: believes that achieving excellence in customer service is critical. They will improve network performance and customer service. To do this, they will invest in artificial intelligence. Expand the offer: to increase B2C revenue. They will strengthen convergent offers in Spain and Brazil and expand them to the United Kingdom and Germany. Boost business business: and also with public administrations. They will modernize services in Spain and Brazil and look for new opportunities in the United Kingdom and Germanygirl More technological capacity: they will continue investing in fixed and mobile networks. They will also update other technologies to improve their value proposition to customers. Simplification: the objective of simplification is to have greater autonomy, although it does not specify how they will do it Talent: attract, develop and retain talent in all markets. Financial goals. The final objective of the plan is growth and Telefónica has set a goal. Between 2025 and 2028, compound annual growth of 1.5-2.5%. For the period between 2028 and 2030, the objective is between 2.5-3.5%. In addition, it proposes an efficiency plan with which they hope to save 2,300 million in 2028 and up to 3,000 million in 2030. Consolidations. Murtra’s speech has been very focused on consolidation and rumors pointed to a possible purchase of Digi or Vodafone Spain. It has not been like that, at least not for now. The plan has a strong impact on the need for consolidation in the European telecommunications market, which “has generated inefficient investments compared to the United States and China”, markets in which there are only three much larger operators, and also a growing technological dependence. Telefónica estimates that a consolidation in its main markets “could generate synergies worth 18,000-22,000 million.” Conversations. When asked about the possible purchase of Vodafone or Digi, Murtra responded that “we are not going to comment on any operation until it is closed. What we can assure is that we are holding continuous conversations in each of our key markets.” It has also set the three conditions that a possible consolidation operation must meet: “cost and network synergies, appropriate price and terms, and appropriate remedies with regulators.” And he concludes: “We see great potential, but there is a lot of uncertainty and we are not going to say anything until it is a fact.” Movistar Spain. We already know what some of the improvements and innovations that will come to our country will be from Movistar. As part of the effort to improve the customer experience, Movistar will install more cutting-edge equipment: routers with WiFi 7 and 10Gbps fiber. In addition, they plan to expand their presence in the defense sector and strengthen cybersecurity. Images | Telephone In Xataka | Telefónica wants to become the teleoperator par excellence in Spain. And that is why the purchase of Vodafone is lurking

With half of Europe debating recovering the military, in Spain there is a phenomenon that is gaining strength: military camps for young people

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Moncloa has said it clearly: (at least today) there is no question of following in the footsteps of other neighboring nations, like germanyand recover military service. Not even on a voluntary basis. That does not mean that in Spain there is a type of initiative that is gaining strength: youth camps that emulate (in part) the old ‘military’ and promise a cocktail based on military discipline, sport, nature and survival lessons worthy of the preppers. And that tells us a lot about Spanish society. A percentage: 42% a few months ago a YouGov study generated debate with a percentage: 42%. According to their calculations, that is the proportion of Spaniards who welcome young people having to undergo compulsory military service, the old ‘mili’a benefit that disappeared in our country almost 24 years ago. The percentage is lower that of other neighboring nations, such as France (68%), Germany (58%) or Italy (49%) and also reveals that there are 58% of Spaniards who either oppose the return of the ‘military’ or do not have a firm opinion on the matter; but it yields another reading that is equally unquestionable: there is a considerable number of Spaniards (especially among the conservative party voters and older citizens) who are recognized in favor of compulsory military training. Don’t say military, say camp. Today the Government he doesn’t seem very willing to recover the military (Pedro Sánchez came to admit which for him was “a waste of time”), but that does not mean that there are initiatives and businesses that are prospering in the heat of this renewed military push. I confirmed it a few days ago The Confidential in a report in which he puts the thermometer to the interest that camps with military echoes are awakening in our country. There are two pieces of information that corroborate this. According to the newspaperright now these courses mobilize more than 2,000 young people each summer and account for around 5% of the turnover of the summer camp sector, a wide range that includes urban camps and those oriented to languages ​​and sciences. It may not seem like much, but a decade ago they barely existed. “Detect weak points”. A quick Google search is enough to find military camps in Madrid, Castile-La Mancha wave Valencian Community. Its activities focus on summer, they give a key role to young people and, although there may be differences Among them, they share a series of ingredients: uniforms, nature, sport, a discourse very focused on discipline and training in basic notions aimed at survival, which includes everything from lessons to orient yourself with the help of a compass to how to stop bleeding. In some the equation even adds weapons airsoft. “Our camp is military, not military. We are not the entrance hall to the army nor do we prepare young people to enter any other body such as the National Police or the Civil Guard,” explains José Gómeza 54-year-old former military man who has promoted a summer camp in Sigüenza aimed at young people. “It seeks to detect each person’s weak points and help them improve.” The bet doesn’t go badly at all. It started four years ago with just 14 children and in the last edition it exceeded 200. “In a week the kids leave here hardened.” “15 days do not change life”. The camps stand out for their discipline and “values ​​such as loyalty, sacrifice and teamwork”, such as stands out the person responsible for one of these facilities. Not everyone shares his optimism, however. In 2024 elDiario.es echoed from the opinion of some experts who questioned its effectiveness for parents seeking to instill discipline in their children. “You shouldn’t think that taking (a child) to a camp that works at the drop of a hat is going to give him back changed. 15 days doesn’t change anyone’s life,” reflected Mónica Nadal, from the Bofill Foundation. The Youth Institute (Injuve) also has shown his suspicion before this type of camps. Does it only happen in Spain? No. In fact there are other countries in which military camps for youth have been established for some time, such as USA, Russia either China. Again the details may vary, but there are certain elements in common, such as discipline, paramilitary echoes and patriotic discourse. The phenomenon is not foreign to Europe either and goes beyond young people. In the midst of the debate on the increase of defense spendingwith the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, an emboldened Putin and Trump sowing doubts about the future of the US in NATO, in the EU there are countries that have reopened the debate about the military or they have directly begun to recover it. One of the last has been Germany, which has reinforced its Armed Forces with a voluntary military service. The example of Denmark. Denmark leaves another interesting example. There the National Guard (Hjemmeværnet or HJV) is experiencing a real boom, with recruitment data that has not been seen since the 80s, in the middle of the Cold War. During the first trimester something more than 1,700 Danes They filled out and confirmed the form to register in this body made up of volunteers trained to intervene in an emergency and provide support to the country’s army. As a reference, during the first quarter of 2024, just over 1,000 had registered and in 2023 the figure did not even reach 700. The members of the HJV are volunteers, people who in their daily lives work in offices, stores, factories, schools… but receive training to, for example, collaborate during surveillance work, searches or in weather emergencies. With the focus on Gen Z. The phenomenon does not only coincide with a turbulent geopolitical scenario. As pointed out recently Elisabeth Braw in a column of Financial Timesalso connects with some obsessions of the youngest cohort, precisely the one that is now reaching recruitment age. “An epidemic of loneliness and Generation Z’s obsession with physical exercise could help Western countries strengthen civil defense,” … Read more

These are just two examples of how China is buying Europe

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For more than a decade, Chinese capital has been buying hundreds of European companies, one after another. Centenary brands, technological leaders, industrial jewels. A map of acquisitions that has changed the ownership of some historic companies. This is the x-ray of the main European companies that are in Chinese hands, sector by sector. Automotive The Swedish and Italian assault. The automobile sector has been one of the main objectives from the beginning. Technology and robotics The German jewel. China has targeted strategic technology companies, especially in robotics and engineering. Agribusiness The Swiss giant. One of the largest Chinese acquisitions in Europe, and in the world. Energy and infrastructure Ports and nuclear. China has invested in strategic energy and port infrastructure assets. In some cases it remained an attempt that did not bear fruit. Tourism and hospitality The European tourism and hospitality sector has also attracted Chinese capital: Luxury goods and fashion European luxury brands have been another strategic target. Lanvin (France): Fosun acquired the French fashion house, one of the oldest haute couture brands in the world, in 2018 for an undisclosed amount. Time after adapted the name of its fashion division. Telecommunications A sensitive sector where operations have encountered more resistance. Also in Spain. Missing? Sectors such as banking, where Chinese acquisitions have been more limited by regulation, and defense, practically shielded. Also the pharmaceutical sector, where they have barely achieved important operations. The context. This shopping list is a good reflection of the Chinese strategy of the last 15 years: Access to technology. Global brands. And strategic positions in Europe. But the panorama has changed. Large acquisitions have given way to ground-up investment, especially in electric vehicles, concentrated in countries like Hungary that offer tax advantages and somewhat more regulatory laxity. BYD is a great example. Just like CATL. turning point. Europe is tightening its surveillance now that China changes tactics. Spectacular purchases have been reducing. Now is the time for new factories, electric cars and a subtler battle for the continent’s industrial future. In Xataka | Alibaba’s strategy with AI is very simple: achieve the same thing that Google achieved with Android Featured image | Luca Massimilian

Carratraca was a small town in Malaga with 800 inhabitants. Now it will be the largest natural theme park in Europe

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Carratraca is a small town in Malaga that does not reach the 800 neighbors. Yeah ‘Evolution Park’ It meets its objectives in a short time, however, it will have a unique facility in Spain and an international reference: a theme park dedicated to nature that (among many other claims) wants to be equipped with the longest aquarium in the world and the largest aviary in the country. Along the way, by the way, it aspires to mobilize a million-dollar investment and generate a volume of employment that is equivalent to 45% of the entire population of Carratraca. One figure: 786. They are the neighbors who (according to the INE) are registered in carratracaa small municipality in the Guadalteba regionprovince of Malaga. There, in the heart of the Sierra del Agua, is where an ambitious project has begun to take shape that aspires to become a benchmark beyond Malaga, Andalusia or even Spain: Evolution Parka theme park dedicated to nature that, according to the data outlined by the Board, it will have the longest aquarium in the world and the largest aviary in the country, among other attractions. What exactly will you offer? The regional government presents it as “a nature theme park”, a large facility located on the slopes of the Sierra de Aguas and Sierra Blanquilla that aspires to become into “a reference center for sustainable tourism”. That is at least the philosophy’s rhetoric. If we look for specific details, it comes with reviewing the Andalusian newspaper archives. After all, the project is not new: takes years on the table, although its future seems to have cleared up in recent months thanks to the endorsement administrative. Animals, cabins… and a ‘mega aquarium’. Although the latest What has emerged from the park is that it will have “the longest aquarium in the world”, the largest aviary in Spain, a natural history museum, planetarium and 360º cinema. The Andalusian press has been making some progress for some time. keys of the project. For example, it will have animals, although it will move away from the traditional concept of a zoo. There is who points In fact, it will also act as a wildlife rescue center, recreate habitats and be the biggest theme park of the nature of Europe. In April SOUTH pointed out that the enclosure will include themed accommodation (such as African-style cabins), a museum with replicas of extinct animals made by paleoartists, a simulator type ‘Flying Theater’ or a train that will allow visitors to move around the enclosures and observe the animals safely. Regarding the aquarium, he pointed out that it will measure about 80 meters long. All in one large farm of the Sierra del Agua located just four kilometers from the urban center of Carratraca and connected through the A-354 highway. The town is located about an hour’s drive from the center of Malaga. Another figure: 10 million. Although the initiative seems to have aroused enthusiasm in the Board and the City Council, in reality it is a private proposal which will start with an investment of three million of euros and will end up mobilizing around 10 million. Behind is Ecological and Recreational Estate Arroyo las Cañas 2013. The diary SOUTH clarify that to give shape to the project, a land of around 200 hectares was chosen within the municipality of Carratraca and that the idea (at least today) is to have the project ready in four years. “It’s not just sun and beach”. If the future park is in the news today, it is because its promoters have managed to go beyond paper and infographics. The laying of the first stone of Evolution Park was celebrated on Thursday, a symbolic ceremony which, however, is interesting for two reasons: first because it confirms that the project is alive; second, because it has demonstrated its institutional support. The Minister of Tourism, Arturo Bernal, attended the event, for example, and highlighted that the complex “will generate an economic and social impact” that will make the small Malaga town “a new benchmark for nature tourism.” 350 jobs. A curious fact about Evolution Park is that it aspires to generate a volume of jobs that is equivalent to almost half of the population of Carratraca (780 residents), as it was responsible for underline yesterday the Junta de Andalucía. “This unique project in Europe, with a private investment of 10 million, will promote the creation of more than 350 direct and indirect jobs,” celebrated the leader, who insisted that Evolution Park will help diversify the tourist offer of the entire province. “Projects like this are the best proof of why Andalusia is a leading and reference destination. A destination that is not only sun and sand, but also mountains, culture, heritage, sustainability and life.” Images | Andalusia Tourism, Ian Schneider (Unsplash) and Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Andalusia (X) In Xataka | The coast of Huelva has been touristed for decades. Now one of its last virgin areas will become a megaurbanization

First it was the automotive industry, now Europe is going to lose another of its star industries to China

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The lights at the LyondellBasell plant in the port of Rotterdam went out for the last time on a September afternoon. The factory, which produced propylene oxide — an essential raw material for foams, mattresses and auto parts — had just been dismantled. A silent symbol of a fading era. The plant, barely 22 years old, became another victim of a storm that is hitting the European industrial heart: expensive energy, Asian competition and disinvestment. Europe, once a world chemical power, has lost its industrial pulse to China. The perfect storm. The sequence began with the war in Ukraine. The Russian gas cutoff energy prices skyrocketed in Europe and exposed a fatal dependence. “Gas costs in the Netherlands were between 15% and 66% higher than in other European countries,” economist Edse Dantuma explained to NRC. However, the decisive blow came from further east. From that same period, an avalanche of Chinese chemicals began to flood the European market. “During the pandemic, China completed all stages of its chemical value chain without us realizing it,” Manon Bloemer explained.director of the Dutch association VNCI. “Later, with domestic demand stagnant, they began to export their surpluses,” he added. Europe was paying the most expensive energy in the world and, at the same time, facing the lowest prices in history. In the UK, Ineos—Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s petrochemical giant— was forced to lay off staff due to “very cheap” imports from China, made with coal and with CO₂ emissions up to eight times higher. The same symptoms are repeated in Germany. According to ICISGerman chemical production (excluding pharmaceuticals) will fall by at least 2% this year. Economist Christiane Kellermann, from the VCI, warned that “Capacity utilization remains low, even with plants closed. More production shutdowns are coming.” The end of a European era. For decades, Europe was the world’s laboratory. The petrochemical complexes of Rotterdam, Ludwigshafen and Antwerp symbolized the industrial modernity of the continent. But now, warns the joint study by Cefic and Advancythe European sector “faces a historic turning point: structurally higher costs, regulatory overload and investment flight threaten its survival.” According to this report, Europe has lost 30% of its chemical production in the last decade and new investments have been reduced to historic lows. In Germany, Strategy&PwC estimates that chemical investments They have fallen by 90% since seven years ago and profits have been reduced by 12%. Incoming orders are at their lowest level in ten years. “Deindustrialization is no longer a risk, it is a reality,” this research warns. “Neither Europe nor Germany benefit from global growth anymore. Investment decisions are made on other continents.” China, the new epicenter. Meanwhile, the Asian giant is investing on an unprecedented scale. According to Global Datathe country will account for more than 60% of the world’s new petrochemical projects until 2030, with more than 500 plants underway. Analyst Bhargavi Gandham explains that this boom responds to “a deliberate policy of self-sufficiency, supported by cheap financing, state planning and domestic demand.” From Roland Berger point out in a recent report: “China not only produces more; it has become the global price setter in multiple value chains.” The consulting firm identifies unprecedented levels of overcapacity: with such a surplus, China could supply the entire Western market and still retain idle capacity. China’s dominance in petrochemicals reinforces its strategic influence over critical industries—from batteries to fertilizers—a lever of industrial power that Europe no longer controls. Beijing is aware of the problem. According to Bloombergthe Ministry of Industry plans to convert or close obsolete plants more than 20 years old and promote the transition towards advanced chemicals, used in semiconductors, batteries or biomedicine. AND, as detailed by Reutersthe Chinese Government itself called this October to the main producers of plastics and fibers to stop internal “destructive competition” in products such as PTA or PET. But the result, for now, is that the Chinese excess puts pressure on global prices. And Europe, caught between its energy costs and its climate goals, cannot compete. The old continent without defenses. “The system is like a Jenga tower,” Ronald van Klaveren told NRC. “Take away one piece and it holds. Take away three and it collapses.” Every closure in Europe endangers an entire ecosystem of factories connected by pipelines of steam, heat and raw materials. In Rotterdam, Chemelot or the Ruhr, the closure of a plant affects dozens of suppliers. In the industrial regions of the Rhine or Limburg, each blackout translates into hundreds of lost jobs and entire communities in decline, evoking the reconversions of the 1980s. Meanwhile, the political framework moves slowly. In the summer the European Commission presented its “Chemical Industry Action Plan“, that, according to Dutch industrialists“has good intentions but few concrete measures.” The industry is asking for three things: affordable energy, equivalent rules for imports and a competitive tax framework. In Germany, the Helaba bank warns of a “Chinese shock 2.0”: After China joined the WTO in 2001, its exports focused on toys and textiles; Today it competes in machinery, automotive and high-tech chemistry. “The result is enormous pressure on prices,” said economist Adrian Keppler. And in the UK, Ineos Acetyls director David Brooks was more direct for The Guardian: “The UK and Europe are sleepwalking towards deindustrialisation. If governments do not act now on energy, carbon and trade, we will continue to lose factories, talent and jobs.” What’s coming now? Europe wants to reinvent its chemistry, but it does not have the conditions to do so. The Cefic and Advancy report warns that 40% of European plants could close before 2040 if the transition to low-carbon materials and high-value products is not accelerated. To comply with the Green Deal, more than 2 trillion euros in investment would be needed until 2050, according to Consultancy. The problem is that no one wants to invest where energy costs more, the rules change every year and permits take months or even years. Some experts, as Alexander Baumgartner by Roland Bergerbelieve that the way out is to “abandon … Read more

A new threat has arrived in the skies of Europe. They are not drones or fighters, and the order is to shoot before you ask

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For weeks now, the European sky has has converted in a silent front of hybrid war: brief incursions, weak signals, ambiguous trajectories and objects that, without carrying clear flags, force airport closures, diversions of trade routes and military responses that consume resources and erode civil normality. The pattern is repeated from the Baltics to Central Europe and seems designed to measure the NATO reflexes. Now something else has arrived, and it’s not drones or fighter jets. Balloon waves. Lithuania has announced that will bring down any balloon that crosses from Belarus after detecting in one go 66 night intrusions and chain closures of Vilnius airport. The government described the phenomenon as hybrid attack and activated the closure of the eastern border, initially temporary but set to become indefinite, with minimal exceptions for diplomats and EU citizens in transit. The decision marks a turning point on NATO’s eastern flank, where violations of airspace by drones, balloons and Russian aircraft are increasing. have become recurring in recent weeks, from Estonia and Poland to Denmark, Norway and Germany, fueling the impression of a sustained campaign of provocations calibrated to measure reflexes, saturate defenses and erode political tolerance at the cost of deterrence. Nature and sign. The balloons (some weighing more than 50 kilos, also used for tobacco smuggling) are interpreted not only as a criminal economy but also as a cheap instrument. psychological warfare and technical rehearsal: they stretch the “gray zone” five kilometers inward, force airport closures, degrade logistics, strain the civil and military decision chain and expose the friction of activating rules of engagement against targets no classic military sign. Lithuania will involve NASAMS, RBS-70, Avengers and MANPADS in neutralization, despite stocks depleted by transfers to Ukraine and the intrinsic difficulty of shooting down balloons with low radar signature and low kinetic energy. The political message is deliberate: any permeability (even if it seems marginal) will be treated as a strategic precedent. Escalation in NATO. We said it at the beginning, the episode arrives after penetrations of Su-30, Il-78 and MiG-31 in the Baltics, and after the recording of swarms of drones over Poland, Denmark, Munich or the Baltic, with more than 170 flights disrupted in one week in Vilnius and almost 14,000 passengers affected. Reiteration converts the episodic in pattern: state actors exploit loopholes in regulations (civil balloons, meteorological assumptions, smuggling) to degrade the continuity of European civil aviation and test the elasticity of ROE and allied cohesion without crossing explicit thresholds of article 5. Lithuania, in fact, studies consultations under article 4and has hinted that the closure could extend to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, raising the economic-logistical vector of the pulse. Hybrid war as a framework. Vilnius is clearand describes the phenomenon as a psychological operation aimed at disrupting daily life, testing NATO-EU synchrony and normalizing aggression (of low lethality, of course) as noise permanent. The background signal (at no point is Moscow explicitly named) fits into the repertoire hybrid warfare: discreet sabotage, information manipulation, low signal intrusion, erosion of trust and critical infrastructure, in conjunction with the war in Ukraine and under the plausible protection of Belarus. Plus: the closure of borders is accompanied by tougher criminal penalties against smuggling and coordination with Poland and Latvia to shield the eastern edge as a strategic unit, given the calculation that firmness, the earlier, will define how much the enemy will dare later. Image | LITHUANIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE In Xataka | Europe has decided to take action against Moscow’s hybrid war. So Germany has started hunting for Russian drones In Xataka | The Spanish invention that simplifies the hunt for Europe’s biggest threat: how to detect the arrival of drones in a matter of seconds

Europe has done the only thing it could do to compete with SpaceX and China in space: merge its largest companies

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Europe has grown tired of watching from the sidelines how SpaceX and, increasingly, Chinaredefine the rules of the game in space. The continent’s response was inevitable: a historic fusion. The three European aerospace giants, Airbus, Leonardo and Thales, have signed a memorandum of understanding to combine its spatial divisions into a single, colossal enterprise. Merge or die. This is not news that we break every day. It is the most ambitious move in the European aerospace industry since the creation of the MBDA missile consortium in 2001. And at the same time, it is not an offensive move, but a strategic survival maneuver. Given the agility of reusable rockets and Elon Musk’s megaconstellations, the fragmentation of Europe had become an unsustainable burden. Now, the plan is to create a European champion with the critical mass necessary to at least be able to compete. A colossus about to be born. The agreement, which It’s been brewing for months. under the code name “Project Bromo”, it will give rise to a new company that, if approved by regulators, could be operational in 2027. The figures used give an idea of ​​the scale of the operation: a combined annual turnover of 6.5 billion euros, and nearly 25,000 employees spread throughout Europe. Airbus will have the majority stake with 35%, while the Italian Leonardo and the French Thales will share the rest almost equally, with 32.5% each. Despite the majority of Airbus, the government of the new colossus will be “balanced” and under joint control, as reported by the companies. What does each one contribute? Each partner will contribute his crown jewels in the space sector. Airbus will contribute with its Space Systems and Digital Space businesses. Leonardo will bring its Space Division to the table, including its valuable stakes in Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space. Thales will mainly contribute its shares in those same joint ventures (Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio) and Thales SESO. Why it was inevitable. The harsh reality is that Europe was falling behind, and very quickly. SpaceX’s disruption has been brutal, especially on two fronts: launch and satellites. While Europe continues recovering lost ground With the development of its Ariane rockets, Elon Musk’s company has not only radically lowered the cost of putting something into orbit, but has flooded the sky with its Starlink constellation and its military version, Starshield. Beating SpaceX is no longer possible. On October 19, the company surpassed a staggering number of 10,000 Starlink satellites launched in just over 300 launches of the Falcon 9 rocket. This network of small satellites has cannibalized the traditional market for large and expensive geostationary satellites, the pillar on which the business of European companies was based. The only thing Europe can do, and what this new giant is destined to do, is recover its technological sovereignty in space and, with it, its security. Image | Airbus In Xataka | “We are the company that has developed an orbital rocket the fastest”: PLD Space, one step away from making history from Spain

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