Neelie Kroes: Analogue Europe Blocking Digital Future

[fjtorres]

Departing Digital Commissioner's exit speech:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release...-14-710_en.htm

Reported on at Tech Dirt:

https://www.techdirt.com/blog/innova...ion.shtml#c101

Of note:

I ask myself why did Europe stop inventing and investing? Why did Europe lose interest?
The answer? Legacy industries, seeking to hold back innovation.
We have a problem today of two Europes: a digital Europe and an analogue Europe. Of digital mind-sets and analogue mind-sets.

These are two Europes that rarely talk to each other. Two Europes that hold back all of Europe because they are not in sync.

There is a Europe that is full of energy and digital ideas. We have a growing start-up scene with thousands of people who are the smartest in the world at what they do. From Skype to Spotify to SAP, from Rovio to Booking.com to Campus Party. We have a young generation that uses their digital devices and apps and new ways of building communities and businesses.

This Europe is optimistic. This is the Europe where half of new jobs come from – the ICT-enabled jobs. This Europe is mobile and flexible. This Europe hates barriers and looks for new opportunities. This is the Europe that likes innovation – and is happy to use Uber and Air BnB.

But there is a second Europe. It is a Europe that is afraid of this digital future. They worry about where the new middle class jobs will come from. They don’t want to jump off what they see as a digital cliff. They like the comforting idea of putting up walls; to many people it makes sense to restrict Americans and Asians and protect against their innovations. They tend to be older. They tend to want strong regulations protecting what they know, instead of taking a chance on what they don’t know.

It comes down to this question: is Europe’s leadership class willing to be excited about innovation and start-ups? Or is Europe going to be exhausted by using up its energy safeguarding vested interests, and holding up ancient barriers?

She's correct, especially when it comes to ebooks, but...

She comes too late to this "realization", methinks, considering she spent years in squeezing Microsoft (to extort $1B-plus) and others as part of the establishment, protecting vested interests and holding up barriers, so I can only wonder what's her angle now.

Elective office, perhaps?

Anybody know what her game is?

[Zetmolm]

I don't quite understand your reasoning. Microsoft was the 'establishment' that was protecting its vested interest and holding up barriers, and that is why Microsoft was fined. Mrs Kroes did not change her mind, she is just saying what she said before.
And electve office? I doubt it. The lady is 73.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Zetmolm

I don't quite understand your reasoning. Microsoft was the 'establishment' that was protecting its vested interest and holding up barriers, and that is why Microsoft was fined. Mrs Kroes did not change her mind, she is just saying what she said before.
And electve office? I doubt it. The lady is 73.

Microsoft was fined for putting a media player in windows because Rovio and other european companies complained they couldn't charge for a media player as long as Windows had one. Never mind that Windows had a media player from day one. And then they were fined because they only turned over API data, not source code.
And Kroes also went after Google in the name of the media companies.

So first she acts as a protectionist for years and now she complains about the protectors of the legacy businesses? That kind of deathbed conversion is mostly typical of politicians angling for higher office.

(And, in case you hadn't heard: 70 is the new 50. )

[crich70]

Or maybe the lady felt that way all along but couldn't risk rocking the boat lest she find herself out of work. Now she is leaving and doesn't have to worry about what she says conflicting with official policy, so she speaks her mind.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by crich70

Or maybe the lady felt that way all along but couldn't risk rocking the boat lest she find herself out of work. Now she is leaving and doesn't have to worry about what she says conflicting with official policy, so she speaks her mind.

Could be.
But she was supposed to be setting the policy.
Which she, to all appearances did.

Doesn't really matter as I don't expect anything to change.

(Or care, beyond the extent that the Manhattan Syndicate tries to import those policies westward.)

[ManDay]

Are we criticizing Mrs. Kroes for the actions she took while in office or are we debating her opinion today?

As crich70 pointed out, holding such a high office goes with risks and responsibilities and requires a certain amount of compromises. It also includes the possibility for error, even repeatedly so, of which no one can tell themselves free. In any case, I wouldn't call her, personally, a protector of industries, at no point in time.

Regardless, her speech, as it stands, I find of outstanding clarity and substance. And I fully agree with her point. Frankly, a great parting speech.

[fjtorres]

And this is her successor's "response" to her speech:

https://gigaom.com/2014/10/28/eu-dig...copyright-law/

More legacy coddling protectionism.
I expected to change and... well, there ya go...

Plus ça change...