Guntram Wolff

Reforming European defence procurement to boost military innovation and startups European defence procurement practices must evolve to embrace innovative startups and small firms, in order to meet modern battlefield needs

🪖Reforming European defence procurement to boost military innovation and startups

European defence procurement practices must evolve to embrace innovative startups and small firms, in order to meet modern battlefield needs.

🖋️Ethan Kapstein, Javier Ospital @guntramwolff.bsky.social #EconSky

German gov't making a big strategic mistake. Instead of diversifying away from gas and oil, this will keep the country trapped in geopolitical dependencies.

new podcast - listen in

Sehr schade, dass sie anscheinend den SVR verlassen wird

Spain to ban social media access for under-16s Move follows Australia’s decision to introduce age-based restrictions over child safety concerns

Well done Spain. This should be EU-wide. A first (but hopefully not last) signal to the tech bros that their dystopian vision has no place in Europe

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Warum in Deutschland Ungleichheit bei Bildung und Gesundheit besteht Je mehr der Staat organisiert, umso besser für die Armen: So heißt es oft. Doch Bildung und Gesundheit zeigen: Staatliche Angebote sind oft dort, wo es den Leuten sowieso gut geht.

Die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Claudia Bothe und Alexander Wulfers, hat die belgische Studie mit deutschen Zahlen repliziert. Sehr beeindruckende Ergebnisse und Karten. Must read.

www.faz.net/aktuell/wirt...

, denn diese werden eher in der Nähe von Reichen Vierteln anstatt von Armen Vierteln zur Verfügung gestellt. Im Endeffekt erleichtert das den Zugang für eher Wohlhabende - und Arbeiterkinder haben höhere Barrieren, um z.B. in ein Gymnasium zu gehen.

Eine sehr interessante Studie meiner @ulbruxelles.bsky.social Kollegen Micael Castanheira, Giovanni Paolo Mariani und Clemence Tricaud. Sie zeigen, dass bei der Bereitstellung vieler öffentlicher Güter wie zB guter Schulen und Krankenhäuser die Ungleichheit eher erhöht wird

First investigate and negotiate to give time for a climb down. But if needed, focus it on sectors where you can quickly substitute with domestic production. And design a strategy to help sectors exporting to the US that will be hit by trade war escalation.

But if history teaches us one thing, it is that you should not give in to coercion and agression. Appeasement does not secure freedom and democracy. Activating the Anti-Coercion Instrument is the right step. How to apply it?

The EU cannot accept being coerced into selling Greenland. As the narcisist power grab of President Trump expands, it is important to say no. US lawmakers are being more vocal and so are European lawmakers and countries. Will Europe have to pay a price? - yes.

Nog niet zo lang geleden werd een Europees leger smalend afgedaan als luchtfietserij. Vandaag is een meerderheid van de Europeanen vóór. Alleen nationale politici stribbelen tegen. Defensie expert @guntramwolff.bsky.social in @nrc.nl “burgers zijn verder dan nationale politici”. Must-read artikel!

‘We moeten af van onze militaire afhankelijkheid van de Amerikanen’ Guntram Wolff | economisch defensie-expert: Europese leiders zijn bang om voor Europese defensie te kiezen en minder met de Amerikanen te doen. Maar er is weinig keus, zegt defensie-expert Guntram Wol...

“De Amerikanen hebben weinig goeds met ons voor. Veel burgers snappen wat er op het spel staat, dat we voor een Europese defensie moeten gaan. Zij zijn verder dan de meeste Europese leiders.”
Interview @guntramwolff.bsky.social

www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen:

"If we have to choose between the US & Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU."

"Greenland does not want to be owned by the US. Greenland does not want to be governed by the US" he later added.

Estimates for number killed in the Tiananmen Square massacre are greatly debated more than 30 years later. Experts say likely between 1,000-3,500. If CBS News warnings are true for Iran's 12,000-20,000 — we are looking at something 5x to 15x greater. A historic horror.

❄️ Greenland is not marginal: the US takeover threat is a strategic test for Europe

❓How should Europe respond to threats over Greenland?

📑 Read the First Glance by @guntramwolff.bsky.social

🔗 buff.ly/bffJUuG

Gastkommentar: Warum Europa zusätzliche Truppen nach Grönland entsenden sollte Natürlich könnten sich die USA, wenn sie denn wollten, Grönland einverleiben. Die politischen und militärischen Kosten würden aber für die USA massiv steigen, schreibt Guntram Wolff.

Natürlich könnten sich die USA, wenn sie denn wollten, Grönland einverleiben. Die politischen und militärischen Kosten würden aber für die USA massiv steigen, schreibt Guntram Wolff. Mein Kommentar im Handelsblatt
www.handelsblatt.com/meinung/gast...

Matt Walsh tweeted last year: "We've spent the last 25 years bringing "freedom" and "democracy" to countries around the globe while our own country has been systematically invaded and now our largest cities are run by foreigners and communists. If you want to know why I'm so avowedly non-interventionist, this is why." Then he tweeted today: ""This is a war for oil!!!!!" First of all, the "war" lasted like 90 minutes. Second, going to war to secure vital resources for your own people is totally legitimate. Why should we allow some third world communist shithole to control trillions of dollars worth of oil?"

Laura Loomer tweeted last year: "I’m America First, I don’t support “Regime Change”. I went on @Bannons_WarRoom to talk about Chinese aggression in Venezuela and why we need to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign Islamic terrorist organization." Then she tweeted yesterday: "Maduro has arrived at the DEA office in Manhattan. He was transported in an armored motorcade after being transported in a blindfold via helicopter & then by plane to New York after his compound in Caracas was raided by US Special Forces. Proud to be an American today! USA 🇺🇸"

Catturd tweeted last year: "Name one U.S. inspired regime change that hasn’t ended in absolute disaster." Then he tweeted yesterday: "Venezuela is now more free than New York City."

Will Chamberlain tweeted last year: "The Republican Party is no longer the party of regime change and endless wars If you want to be its standard-bearer that is a non-negotiable position" Then he tweeted yesterday: "I can think of few better uses of my tax dollars than black-bagging the head of a foreign narco-trafficking organization that enriches itself by addicting and poisoning my fellow Americans"

amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders

In just a few hours, Bulgaria will adopt the euro. To mark this special moment, we are illuminating our main building in Frankfurt.

We’re excited to welcome Bulgaria to the euro family 🇪🇺🤝🇧🇬

📸 by ECB

Russian Oil Prices Sink Below $35 Per Barrel - The Moscow Times Russian oil prices continue to plunge under the pressure of U.S. sanctions that have disrupted established export flows to India and China.

Important
www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/19/r...

Vergabe Vergabe öffentlicher Aufträge; Grundlagen der Beschaffung; Vergabeplattform; Werden Sie Lieferant der Bundeswehr.

"Möchten Sie die Bundeswehr beliefern?
Als Zulieferer der Bundeswehr müssen zahlreiche gesetzliche Vorgaben beachtet werden."
---> so die einführenden, werbenden Sätze auf der Seite des Bundesamts für Beschaffung #baainbw
---> Perfektes Marketing 😅
www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisat...

Role reversal: how foot-dragging France blindsided newly assertive Berlin As Friedrich Merz pushed to finalise a deal on Russian frozen assets, it became clear that he was missing one key ally

“It’s not great to come home without Mercosur or the plan on Russian assets,” said Guntram Wolff, senior fellow at Bruegel. “The question for Macron is whether it is smart to impose political losses on Merz on two big issues.”
www.ft.com/content/99d2...

Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵

Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...

A few quick thoughts about this morning's decision. Don't believe the spin from various Russians & others: it's a big deal. The EU has now unambiguously demonstrated that it is able and willing to provide the external financial support Ukraine needs, for as long and as much as it takes. (1/N)

Most important is that Ukraine gets the money. Huge deal for EU:
1) if you want to do EU foreign policy, you need EU resources and debt. #EUCO delivered
2) First time this EU debt was decided without unanimity as far as I can remember

www.consilium.europa.eu/media/wqmkno...

China-Strategie: Das Mercosurabkommen abschließen! Deutschland und die EU wollen weniger abhängig vom Systemrivalen China sein. Da bietet sich Lateinamerika an. Ein Gastbeitrag.

www.faz.net/aktuell/wirt...

One big topic this week: the #Mercosur agreement. It would be absolutely appaling if the #EU again delayed. France should drop its absurd call for yet another delay. We have been debating this agreement for 25 years and yes, there are lot's of safeguards for special interests already.

Senator Kelly is correct.

Plus a Public Service Announcement:

KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.

The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."

Mark Kelly on the Trump/Hegseth boat strikes: "If orders are illegal, not only do they not have to follow them, they are legally required not to follow them."

Ukraine talks: peace progress or dead end? How should the EU manage negotiations with Ukraine, the US and Russia?

🎙️ Ukraine talks: peace progress or dead end?

@rebeccawire.bsky.social discusses Ukraine peace talks with @veron.bsky.social & @guntramwolff.bsky.social, and how the EU can manage the high-stakes standoff between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington. #EconSky

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