Ode to the European car industry

EU Commission Pres. Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday in presenting her new team that she has decided to convene a Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Car Industry in Europe for bringing stakeholders to the table and designing solutions as the industry goes through a "deep and disruptive transition." Together, she said, we have to make sure the "future of cars will continue to be made in Europe." Mario Draghi signaled on Page 233 of Part B of his Future of European Competitiveness Report that it's time to move on from the auto sector in Europe and let new sectors come to the fore. In her mission letters to future commissioners in Sept., von der Leyen told them they must live up to the great expectations of Europeans and "lead from the front." By convening a Strategic Dialogue after the European car industry has already entered a "deep and disruptive transition," she seems to be signaling that the industry has no future in Europe and that her team will take the lead in demonstrating this.