Christian Odendahl

@codendahl.bsky.social

33K followers 3.3K following 5.9K posts

European economics editor @TheEconomist. London via Berlin, Stockholm and Cologne. Have no plans to write a book.

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Economics 55%

Political science 39%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 38m

Fair. But Germany is quite keen on collaboration across Europe, not least to assuage fears of a massively armed Germany. But the technicalities are beyond my expertise, I defer to @sophiabesch.bsky.social and others on that.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 40m

Fair. Though it is not new, it has been a common position in many parts of Europe for a while.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 57m

Net zero dad content. I love it.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1h

That is one way to look at it. The other is that France wants to build some leverage to make sure the next ECB head is not a teutonic hawk.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1h

Can we do this without the insults?

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1h

I think the irony in that is indeed that France was right, and Germany now has the means to implement it.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1h

All good!

A serious-looking German economist making jokes is confusing.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 2h

Sorry, yes, it was a joke.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 2h

As much as I dislike the word homework in this context and his public lecturing of another country, the German foreign minister just said out loud what many in Berlin are thinking.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 2h

“Anyone who talks about independence from the USA today must first do their homework at home. … Unfortunately, efforts in the French Republic have also been insufficient to achieve this so far.”

www.welt.de/politik/ausl...

Nato: „Erst einmal Hausaufgaben machen“ – Wadephul attackiert Frankreich für „unzureichende Anstrengungen“ - WELT

Mit Verweis auf die Verpflichtung der Nato-Mitgliedstaaten mahnt Bundesaußenminister Johann Wadephul: „Wir müssen die fünf Prozent auch umsetzen“ – und meint damit besonders Frankreich. Deren Ausgaben...

www.welt.de

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 2h

Lagarde has had enough of Frankfurt. cc @robin-j-brooks.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/30bc...

Christine Lagarde to leave ECB before the end of her 8-year term

Central banker wants to give Macron and Merz chance to pick successor before French presidential election

www.ft.com

Reposted by Christian Odendahl

Laura Kayali @laukaya.bsky.social · 2h

Again, on FCAS, deux salles deux ambiances as we say in French
🇫🇷 Macron in Munich: « I believe in FCAS »
🇩🇪 Merz: « There are others in Europe, the Spanish anyway, but also other countries interested in talking with us »
www.politico.eu/article/frie...

Franco-German fighter jet project in turmoil as Merz raises doubts

“This isn’t a political quarrel. We have a real problem in the requirement profile. And if we can’t solve that, then we can’t maintain the project,” says German chancellor.

www.politico.eu

Reposted by Christian Odendahl

Cllr John Morris @plaistovian.bsky.social · 13h

I'm sure there were people who hated turning this car park into a park. But you can't imagine tarmacking over jubilee gardens so that people can park there.

Change is hard, but once it happens no one will ever want to go back.

Reposted by Christian Odendahl

Adrian Hiel @adrianhiel.bsky.social · 20h

Apparently the pushback was from DGs DGT, SG, RTD, SJ, JRC and HR who all thought IAA had an unfair allotment of vowels.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 20h

There are 9 DGs?

Rob Francis @robfranciseu.bsky.social · 22h

Industrial accelerator act delayed…until March. Rejected by 9 DGs and von der Leyen

Reposted by Christian Odendahl

Rob Francis @robfranciseu.bsky.social · 22h

Industrial accelerator act delayed…until March. Rejected by 9 DGs and von der Leyen

Reposted by Christian Odendahl

Soumaya Keynes @soumayakeynes.ft.com · 23h

Guys guys guys my book is on sale!!!

No not *that* kind of sale... if you preorder it from Waterstones between now and midnight Friday you get 25% off. #WPreorder

www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-...

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d

And the third one on #Putin in Düsseldorf. As if the parade officials wanted to compensate for the absence in both Cologne and Mainz.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d

Speaking of drones, Düsseldorf had another one featuring Putin as a drone pilot (and the AfD's leader Alice Weidel as the drone).

In no uncertain terms, it says "The country's traitors" on the side.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d

It did have one on the #Bundeswehr and drones, so somewhat related. Fair to say, Colognians are not impressed by the drone wall.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d

Bit disappointed that my home town, #Cologne, did not have one on Putin or Ukraine, and the justification for the absence was largely unconvincing.

Anyway.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d

The Karneval parade in #Düsseldorf is the only major one with a satirical float on Putin this year. The chief designer of the floats is under investigation in Russia.

"You cannot kill satire," is his response.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d

True. I also think the Netherlands may soon be replacing Italian supplies, so we should be ok.

Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d

Meloni is still polling strongly, if she holds on to power for too long, the EU may run out of former Italian prime ministers to write landmark reports.

Reposted by Christian Odendahl, Joshua Goodman

John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 1d

“We’d like to build this”

Europe: “Right let me check that against the rules”

Anglo: “K everyone go away and prepare your arguments”

Reposted by Christian Odendahl

Da Borderlands Lore Knower @thelukeman.bsky.social · 2d

I think… I think I may have done something really bad

Reposted by Christian Odendahl

Max Bergmann @maxbergmann.bsky.social · 2d

Thus European rhetoric is pointing toward taking back control of defense. But that is not materializing in a revolution in military affairs. Europe is spending more (yay!). But it can't spend its way to military coherence. More here: www.foreignaffairs.com/europe/europ...

Europe Needs an Army

Only collective defense can protect the continent.

www.foreignaffairs.com

Reposted by Christian Odendahl, Steve Peers

Jeremy Cliffe @jeremycliffe.bsky.social · 2d

[NEW] The good divorce, or: why I was (unfashionably) encouraged by this year's Munich Security Conference.

My take on #MSC2026 for @agendapublica.es ⬇️

agendapublica.es/noticia/2069...