banner
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola
@nikoecon.bsky.social
2.3K followers 2.5K following 1.3K posts
Associate Prof, Uni Bologna, Economics of climate & natural resources. Tweeting also as citizen, 🇫🇮/🇪🇺 and as resident 🇮🇹. Views are mine, most likely borrowed from somewhere. Suomeksi @nikoekon.bsky.social https://sites.google.com/view/jaakkola
sites.google.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · Nov 23
I wrote a policy piece for the EconPol Forum, together with Rick van der Ploeg and Tony Venables. We argue that decisive 'big push' green industrial policy is needed to convince firms & households that, without a doubt, the green transition is going to happen. 1/N
“Big Push” Green Industrial Policy
Carbon pricing is a central part of climate policy, but is politically difficult while the economy is still reliant on fossil fuels The long-lived green investments required to break the carbon lock-...
www.cesifo.org
1 25 59
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
jacobedenhofer.bsky.social
Jacob Edenhofer @jacobedenhofer.bsky.social · 22h
Some thoughts on the strategic logic behind Kemi Badenoch’s announcement that she’d scrap the Climate Change Act (CCA).
It serves two functions:
1️⃣ It appeals to lukewarm pivotal voters in marginal seats sceptical of costly green measures.
2️⃣ It is designed to
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Kemi Badenoch vows to repeal Climate Change Act
Tory leader says she would replace it with ‘cheap energy’ strategy, ending decades-long consensus on climate
www.theguardian.com
2 3 9
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
helenebismarck.bsky.social
Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 12h
Absolutely.
Predictions are a risky business but right now, I don‘t see Farage in Downing Street. I see a hung Parliament where 5 different parties get 15-20% of the vote. And then what?
joxley.jmoxley.co.uk
John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 12h
Think an underpriced 2029 scenario is "ungovernable mess".
robfordmancs.bsky.social
Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1d
Four parties within a 5 point swing of first place and five parties on 12% plus.

This would be pure chaos under first past the post.
21 6 78
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
president.ecb.europa.eu
Christine Lagarde @president.ecb.europa.eu · 1d
The international role of the euro cannot be a secondary question.

It is central to Europe’s ability to turn the euro from a safe-haven currency into a truly global currency, and to turn our weaknesses into lasting benefits.

Read my speech link.europa.eu/fdWYqH
1 6 21
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
iikkakorhonen.bsky.social
Iikka Korhonen @iikkakorhonen.bsky.social · 14h
[Belgium] has spent three years saying Euroclear is Belgian and so are the benefits,” said one senior EU diplomat involved in talks on the matter. “Now, when it wants to share the risks, it claims Euroclear is European.”
🇧🇪🇪🇺🇺🇸
on.ft.com/4nGTIEj
EU pressure builds on Belgium to allow use of Russia’s frozen assets
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever insists other capitals should cover financial and legal risks of €140bn loan
on.ft.com
1 23 73
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
helenebismarck.bsky.social
Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 3d
Well it has happened.
The leadership of the Conservative&Unionist Party is advocating leaving the ECHR. Not reforming it, or working with other members to alter any rules.
Leave it. Like Putin’s Russia.
I can’t help wondering what those Tories who are rightly proud of 🇬🇧’s support for 🇺🇦 are thinking.
8 72 290
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
richardtol.bsky.social
Professor Dr Richard S.J. Tol FREcon MAE @richardtol.bsky.social · 3d
Some more words on Energy Economics open.substack.com/pub/richardt...
Autopsy
Lessons for editors
open.substack.com
2 6 14
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
sambir.bsky.social
Sam Bird 🏔️🍁🇨🇦 @sambir.bsky.social · 4d
The thing you notice in Yellowknife is that residents, whom, unlike most Canadians, have serious winters, predominantly drive normal CARS year-round. Capable & suitable.
In summer, they demonstrate that it's perfectly normal & practical to strap a 17' canoe to the roof a 14' car.
davidzipper.bsky.social
David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 6d
You might think that the mayor of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's vast Northwest Territories, would be a fan of giant pickups.

Nope. He's disgusted by car bloat.

www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...
4 13 44
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
maxbergmann.bsky.social
Max Bergmann @maxbergmann.bsky.social · 6d
So much of the coverage of the EU is hyper-micro. It's all about the sausage making. So story out of Copenhagen European Council is "dithering," "all talk, no action," nothing fully agreed, etc. It's an effing meeting! Take a step back... they are moving on Eurobonds/frozen Russian assets. 1/
5 61 220
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
maxbergmann.bsky.social
Max Bergmann @maxbergmann.bsky.social · 6d
But the EU machine is moving. Huge steps are being taken on mobilizing money to replace the US on Ukraine and to push Ukraine EU membership forward. The EU finds a way and while sausage making ain't pretty... sausage is pretty great in the end.
4 23 160
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 8d
"Silicon shield"
maximilianiras.bsky.social
Maximilian Mayer @maximilianiras.bsky.social · 8d
‚The Trump administration is pressuring Taiwan to rapidly move 50 percent of its chip production into the US if it wants ensured protection against a threatened Chinese invasion, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told NewsNation this weekend.‘
Taiwan pressured to move 50% of chip production to US or lose protection
Trump official plots “impossible” deal moving Taiwan’s chip supply chain into US.
arstechnica.com
1 1
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
jonatomic.bsky.social
Jon B. Wolfsthal 🤯 @jonatomic.bsky.social · 12d
I really appreciate the @thebulletin.org publishing my thoughts on why Trump should accept Putin’s offer to extend New START nuclear caps for one more year.

thebulletin.org/2025/09/why-...

US does not need more nukes (yet) to deter China and if we race, Russia could build more than US can.
Why President Trump should put off the new nuclear arms race for one more year
Extending the New START nuclear arms control treaty by a year, even informally, would be a security and diplomatic win for the United States.
thebulletin.org
8 13
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
wutangforchildren.bsky.social
WuTangIsForTheChildren @wutangforchildren.bsky.social · 9d
ICE Nazis in Chicago tried to kidnap a food delivery worker but my man was too fast for those slow bastards
1.4K 5.7K 22K
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
tatarigami.bsky.social
Tatarigami @tatarigami.bsky.social · 10d
3/ One of such studies, with unique data, based on tens of thousands of Russian records, was published on our Substack yesterday. We recommend everyone to read it if you want to learn about the doubling of desertion rates in the Russian army this year

frontelligence.substack.com/p/silent-exo...
Silent Exodus: Rising Desertions in the Russian Army
Our research, based on tens of thousands of personal records, shows that the typical deserter in the Russian army is a 37-year-old male under contract, and that his chance of desertion in 2025 doubled...
frontelligence.substack.com
1 33 270
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
andreamatranga.bsky.social
Andrea Matranga @andreamatranga.bsky.social · 10d
5 17 140
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 10d
Is this economic growth? 🤔
1
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
duncanweldon.bsky.social
Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 11d
I genuinely think what we tend to call “institutional memory” is better thought of as people almost cosplaying what they think people who work at an institution should act like.
7 5 62
Reposted by Niko Jaakkola
jonatomic.bsky.social
Jon B. Wolfsthal 🤯 @jonatomic.bsky.social · 13d
Ah yes, I remember when I negotiated with the Russians and Chinese and North Koreans and Iranians that the best way to maximize your impact is to admit up front that it is all a negotiating position and not a deeply held policy.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump’s blast toward Russia is a ‘negotiating tactic,’ White House says
The president’s escalation in rhetoric is a marker of Trump’s frustration toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a senior White House official.
www.washingtonpost.com
6 14
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
So that suggests that we might prefer to focus on medium-term outcomes (increased deterrence) but without discounting the large downside risks associated with nuclear weapons. The ultimate goal needs to be disarmament. On what timescale, however, and along what path?
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
But it is remarkable that nuclear deterrence had held. It has (so far) survived hot conflicts between nuclear powers; probably (?) lessened their length and intensity; and probably staved off some conflicts from breaking out into open warfare.
1
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
Going forward, would a strengthening of an independent European nuclear deterrent improve our security -- especially that of countries neighbouring Russia? This is very difficult to assess. In the medium term it would probably lower the risk of war. In the longer term, who knows?
1
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
*If* better decisions had been made in the 1990s, *could* we now be living in a world in which Russia would be a normal, post-imperialistic state? This is unknowable, and not relevant to decisions we have to make in the current situation.
1
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
IMO the best model of their decisionmaking suggests that they are in a militaristic, imperialistic mode of behaviour in which they will exploit their neighbours' weakness. So they would not reciprocate unilateral de-escalation, but exploit it.
1
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
I have more confidence in Janne's model here, especially applied to the current question at hand: does Europe need to enhance its independent nuclear deterrent so that it is credible and independent? Recent behaviour of the Kremlin regime suggests that yes, we do.
1
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
What-if's are hard to discuss when there's no empirical data to construct a reliable counterfactual. You then rely on theory: your model of the world, such that you feel confident it explains the observed one realisation of history. Then you evaluate counterfactuals using that model.
1
nikoecon.bsky.social
Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 13d
This here (part of a bit of a debate) is just one post related to the usefulness of nuclear weapons. Useful to read the entire discussion.
jmkorhonen.fi
Janne M. Korhonen @jmkorhonen.fi · 13d
But we didn’t get to have nice things and now I have to devote far too much of my time and energy into the problem of defending Finland.

I would very much prefer to use all that for more universally constructive purposes. Unfortunately one big reason I can’t is because the West fears Russian nukes.
1 2 5