The world is going to hell, meaningful economic growth is a long-forgotten phenomenon, and by the way what are your plans for summer? That, roughly, is the vibe in Europe these days. To outsiders it feels hopelessly self-indulgent. Europeans have plenty that ought to keep them up at night. Beyond war in Ukraine and Trumpism in America, its big companies are also-rans and the continent’s population is shrinking for the first time since the plague seven centuries ago. Panic, moi? Whatever the issue, if it cannot be dealt with in the next few weeks it will have to wait for la rentrée in September.
Europeans know the global race for economic supremacy is lost. But the continent’s business model endures: it is a third poorer than America, works a third less, and is a lot more tanned at the end of August.
You can tell he doesn’t really understand Europe, we don’t make small talk like that because we don’t feel the need to be everyone’s friend all the time.
I have a 4 stage plan for summer with intermittent beach-bumming phases.
phase one infiltrate austria to finally make fun of them. already partial success went to austria, not enough found of enough significance to make fun off.
intermittent beach bumming phase currently rain-checked.
phase two naval invade Norway. booked the proud sailing vessel. and took it for test sailing worked well. I’ll see how high up we can make it.
followed by you guessed it intermittent beach bumming phase maybe here maybe in norway to be determined.
phase three start my next company. currently underway.
no more beach bumming!
phase four ease into fall.
Typical conservative Yank bull shit. Can be crossposted in r/ShitAmericansSay.
>*Start with continental Europe’s relationship with Britain. Beefing with its insular foe has been something of a guilty pleasure for the EU since Britain became the first member to leave the club in 2020.*
All this whiney bullshit about numbers needing to go up makes me go vacation even harder.
Why does a newspaper in 2025 need a Charlemagne columnist and why did they choose this wimpy polsci loser and not a strong Germanic monk to do it?
I dont know when this was written. But if anything, this feels like the first time in my life (millenial) where that isnt the vibe in Europa?
Bruh what do i get from economic groth??
This is something i don’t understand. If me, a simple employee, go to summer vacations while i still can, how this will help destroy the world? Am I this powerful?
Why would I even bother staying alive if I didn’t have a long summer holiday?
My plans to recover from my semi-autistic engineering job in Germany.
Damn Savage… We’re not supposed to go on vacation because there’s war and shit?
8% of all human recorded history was entirely at peace, give me a break Stanloser. I’m allowed to go see João’s lands this summer, Charlesmall!
I have to confess. Under Biden I used to be very pro American.
But how the world is turning and how united us europeans have become and will continue to strengthen our bond, makes me more proud than I have ever been before
First up, ‘Charlemagne columnist’. Dude is British and the only thing ‘Charlemagne’ that should happen to him is what Charlemagne did to his Saxon ancestors back then.
Now he goes to quote and paraphrase 19th Italian literature, uhhh Mr. Fancy Pants, but then mentions how Mario Draghi has a 400 page plan to renew Europe’s economy and was PM of Italy.
He really thinks people read ‘The Leopard’ but won’t remember that Draghi was the fucking president of the European Central Bank? Maybe he should have done something about it when he was leading the **most important institution** for European monetary policies! But yeah, ‘former PM of Italy’ is the qualification you want to mention when you don’t want to highlight the failed obligation.
If Pignal is such an avid proponent of change, how about he changes his job towards something where his opinion’s shitty quality is fitting, like a soft drink sommelier, a crypto influencer or an Economist columnist. Oh nevermind
If you don’t prioritize your well being, the system takes it from you, and gives you nothing in return.
I think he forgot the meaning of the word meaningful. What’s the point of economic growth if you’re just going to spend all your time working?
Oh no, most of us don’t care about the never-ending quest to raise market caps more this year than last year. We mostly want to prioritise our happiness, families, and communities. How awful.
So. Let me get this straight.
The author is bitching about the following:
1. Bitching about lack of higher retirement age.
This is not an EU question but something handled by individual states. As such, it differs, a lot. You have PIGS which retire as soon as they move out from their mom’s house, which I guess is like 55 or something.
And then you have northern Europe where everyone under 40 understands that they will work until they die.
It is a fact that several European countries have increased their retirement age and probably will continue to do so.
2. Bitching about the UK
I don’t understand this. Yes, good EU-UK relations is good in this security environment, BUT, this is specifically about the European defense fund making the EU less reliant on foreign suppliers. The UK is a foreign supplier. They have chosen to be so. For there to be an exception it absolutely makes sense that the UK most tie itself closer to the EU. You can’t just be there for the bag of cash.
3. Bitching about lack of European defense.
Well… He’s a bit… Late… To the party. This has been talked to death. He’s not wrong, and I agree that even with the current actions taken it is not enough. But this thought is extremely unoriginal and it has been pointed out long before this.
Id rather relax during the summer than work 5000 hours for “GDP growth” that i will never benefit from due to government taking half of my money and sending the other half to mikämikämaa 🤪
Meanwhile the Danish economy keeps rising and wages are catching up.
Why are americans so obsessed with economic growth? How many iPhones could they possibly need?
Ok sure buddy call me When russia has taken the donbass oh yeah they Will not
Well fuck it if the world is REAALLLY going to end then fuck off. Nobody on their death bed wished they spent more time in the office let’s be fuckin real!!
30 comments
Full article:
https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/05/01/the-unbearable-self-indulgence-of-europe
Intro:
The world is going to hell, meaningful economic growth is a long-forgotten phenomenon, and by the way what are your plans for summer? That, roughly, is the vibe in Europe these days. To outsiders it feels hopelessly self-indulgent. Europeans have plenty that ought to keep them up at night. Beyond war in Ukraine and Trumpism in America, its big companies are also-rans and the continent’s population is shrinking for the first time since the plague seven centuries ago. Panic, moi? Whatever the issue, if it cannot be dealt with in the next few weeks it will have to wait for la rentrée in September.
Europeans know the global race for economic supremacy is lost. But the continent’s business model endures: it is a third poorer than America, works a third less, and is a lot more tanned at the end of August.
You can tell he doesn’t really understand Europe, we don’t make small talk like that because we don’t feel the need to be everyone’s friend all the time.
My summer plans, most likely Danmark.
https://preview.redd.it/ajta04rr0j5f1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4febc009b9d4ac14898e440f84b5945352e39512
My summer plans
I have a 4 stage plan for summer with intermittent beach-bumming phases.
phase one infiltrate austria to finally make fun of them. already partial success went to austria, not enough found of enough significance to make fun off.
intermittent beach bumming phase currently rain-checked.
phase two naval invade Norway. booked the proud sailing vessel. and took it for test sailing worked well. I’ll see how high up we can make it.
followed by you guessed it intermittent beach bumming phase maybe here maybe in norway to be determined.
phase three start my next company. currently underway.
no more beach bumming!
phase four ease into fall.
Typical conservative Yank bull shit. Can be crossposted in r/ShitAmericansSay.
>*Start with continental Europe’s relationship with Britain. Beefing with its insular foe has been something of a guilty pleasure for the EU since Britain became the first member to leave the club in 2020.*
Yeah, sure…”first”…
https://preview.redd.it/tvk41vs52j5f1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68d4b12e2af0ad037d7bcf85d5be3fb8fedb11a4
All this whiney bullshit about numbers needing to go up makes me go vacation even harder.
Why does a newspaper in 2025 need a Charlemagne columnist and why did they choose this wimpy polsci loser and not a strong Germanic monk to do it?
I dont know when this was written. But if anything, this feels like the first time in my life (millenial) where that isnt the vibe in Europa?
Bruh what do i get from economic groth??
This is something i don’t understand. If me, a simple employee, go to summer vacations while i still can, how this will help destroy the world? Am I this powerful?
Why would I even bother staying alive if I didn’t have a long summer holiday?
Why leave home?
https://preview.redd.it/ai4a3mh75j5f1.jpeg?width=392&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3af6b66aa0a982d37b2086bcebbd8535335f21ff
My plans to recover from my semi-autistic engineering job in Germany.
Damn Savage… We’re not supposed to go on vacation because there’s war and shit?
8% of all human recorded history was entirely at peace, give me a break Stanloser. I’m allowed to go see João’s lands this summer, Charlesmall!
I have to confess. Under Biden I used to be very pro American.
But how the world is turning and how united us europeans have become and will continue to strengthen our bond, makes me more proud than I have ever been before
First up, ‘Charlemagne columnist’. Dude is British and the only thing ‘Charlemagne’ that should happen to him is what Charlemagne did to his Saxon ancestors back then.
Now he goes to quote and paraphrase 19th Italian literature, uhhh Mr. Fancy Pants, but then mentions how Mario Draghi has a 400 page plan to renew Europe’s economy and was PM of Italy.
He really thinks people read ‘The Leopard’ but won’t remember that Draghi was the fucking president of the European Central Bank? Maybe he should have done something about it when he was leading the **most important institution** for European monetary policies! But yeah, ‘former PM of Italy’ is the qualification you want to mention when you don’t want to highlight the failed obligation.
If Pignal is such an avid proponent of change, how about he changes his job towards something where his opinion’s shitty quality is fitting, like a soft drink sommelier, a crypto influencer or an Economist columnist. Oh nevermind
He’s French and also wrote this. [https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/04/10/the-thing-about-europe-its-the-actual-land-of-the-free-now](https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/04/10/the-thing-about-europe-its-the-actual-land-of-the-free-now)
If you don’t prioritize your well being, the system takes it from you, and gives you nothing in return.
I think he forgot the meaning of the word meaningful. What’s the point of economic growth if you’re just going to spend all your time working?
Oh no, most of us don’t care about the never-ending quest to raise market caps more this year than last year. We mostly want to prioritise our happiness, families, and communities. How awful.
So. Let me get this straight.
The author is bitching about the following:
1. Bitching about lack of higher retirement age.
This is not an EU question but something handled by individual states. As such, it differs, a lot. You have PIGS which retire as soon as they move out from their mom’s house, which I guess is like 55 or something.
And then you have northern Europe where everyone under 40 understands that they will work until they die.
It is a fact that several European countries have increased their retirement age and probably will continue to do so.
2. Bitching about the UK
I don’t understand this. Yes, good EU-UK relations is good in this security environment, BUT, this is specifically about the European defense fund making the EU less reliant on foreign suppliers. The UK is a foreign supplier. They have chosen to be so. For there to be an exception it absolutely makes sense that the UK most tie itself closer to the EU. You can’t just be there for the bag of cash.
3. Bitching about lack of European defense.
Well… He’s a bit… Late… To the party. This has been talked to death. He’s not wrong, and I agree that even with the current actions taken it is not enough. But this thought is extremely unoriginal and it has been pointed out long before this.
Id rather relax during the summer than work 5000 hours for “GDP growth” that i will never benefit from due to government taking half of my money and sending the other half to mikämikämaa 🤪
Meanwhile the Danish economy keeps rising and wages are catching up.
Why are americans so obsessed with economic growth? How many iPhones could they possibly need?
Ok sure buddy call me When russia has taken the donbass oh yeah they Will not
Well fuck it if the world is REAALLLY going to end then fuck off. Nobody on their death bed wished they spent more time in the office let’s be fuckin real!!
Comments are closed.