• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
FinanceEricsson
Europe

The CEO of one of Sweden’s biggest companies thinks regulation is decimating Europe’s competitiveness and will leave ‘no industry left’

Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 30, 2024, 11:29 AM ET
Borje Ekholm speaking on a stage
Ericsson's president and CEO, Borje Ekholm. Graham Hughes—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Europe’s regulations have been trailblazing yet highly controversial in creating barriers and opportunities for businesses.

Recommended Video

The latest critic of the myriad of EU regulations is Börje Ekholm, president and CEO of Swedish telecom and equipment company Ericsson.

The rules around competition imposed by the EU are repelling business, he argues.

It could get worse, though. If the stringent regulations continue, it could ultimately make Europe a museum—and not in a good way, Ekholm told the Financial Times.

The continent is “on the way to becoming a museum — great food, great architecture, great scenery [and] great wine but no industry left,” the chief of Ericsson, one of Sweden’s biggest companies, warned. 

There’s been an urgent appeal from politicians and business executives echoing Ekholm’s sentiment about toning down regulations. Tech giants like Apple have been in the crosshairs of the EU over opening up competition a little more. Other leaders have also sounded the alarm about the general state of Europe’s decline. 

That’s also trickled down to the individual level—Norway’s sovereign wealth fund CEO Nicolai Tangen highlighted that Europeans aren’t working nearly as hard as Americans, adding that Europe doesn’t have the same risk appetite.

Europe’s competitiveness and pioneering rules can seem at odds with one another—more recently, in artificial intelligence. But that’s a balance companies in the broader tech universe struggle to find. 

The telecoms industry, where Ericsson operates, is among the EU’s most regulated industries, according to ING research. Some key telecom providers across the region, such as Orange and Telecom Italia have lobbied for regulators to loosen up rules on mergers, which often take long to review. They have other hurdles to cross, too, such as the bloc’s rules governing the area and underinvestment. The EU is now said to be considering relaxing its regulations. 

The EU conditionally approved a merger between Orange and MasMovil in Spain to form the country’s largest telecom operator.

For the nearly 150-year-old mobile network and gadget maker, leaving room for consolidation within the industry could help make the region more competitive. The challenge currently is that Europe simply lacks the presence of a tech and digital sector, Ekholm said.   

“Maybe I should just move on and forget about the museum but I was born in Sweden . . . I believe Europe has a real value in the world but I want Europe to be competitive,” he added.

The Stockholm-headquartered company recently moved to expand its chip design capabilities given the burgeoning 5G sector. 

In an event last month, Ekholm highlighted the widening chasm between investment in digital infrastructure between the U.S. and Europe, and how it was essential to “reinvent and innovate.” To achieve that, Europe needs to deprioritize regulation in favor of more innovation, the Ericsson CEO said. 

Ericsson saw its sales decline by 14% year-over-year in the first quarter as customers “exercised caution with their investments,” the company reported earlier this month. In March, the mobile equipment company laid off 1,200 employees because of the poor market conditions—a fraction of the 8,500 it laid off last year in cost-cutting efforts.  

Ericsson didn’t immediately return Fortune‘s request for comment.

About the Author
Prarthana Prakash
By Prarthana PrakashEurope Business News Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Prarthana Prakash was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

The rise of white-collar socialists: ‘A lot of tech workers are working class’
EconomyLabor
The rise of white-collar socialists: ‘A lot of tech workers are working class’
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
2 hours ago
The ‘Soccer Capital of America’ is now gunning for the Soccer Capital of the World (Cup)
EconomySports
The ‘Soccer Capital of America’ is now gunning for the Soccer Capital of the World (Cup)
By Catherina GioinoJuly 11, 2026
4 hours ago
There’s no escape from inflation as a perfect storm of the ‘Godzilla’ El Niño, AI boom, Trump tariffs, fuel crunch, and Ukraine war keep prices high
EconomyInflation
There’s no escape from inflation as a perfect storm of the ‘Godzilla’ El Niño, AI boom, Trump tariffs, fuel crunch, and Ukraine war keep prices high
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
5 hours ago
Trump undercuts GOP midterms message with snub of housing bill
PoliticsHousing
Trump undercuts GOP midterms message with snub of housing bill
By Katy O'Donnell and BloombergJuly 11, 2026
6 hours ago
Help not wanted: World Cup hiring boost has yet to materialize
Economytourism
Help not wanted: World Cup hiring boost has yet to materialize
By Augusta Saraiva, Maya Prakash and BloombergJuly 11, 2026
7 hours ago
German carmakers are suffering some of their worst declines ever in China as Q2 sales plunge 30%-41%
AsiaAutos
German carmakers are suffering some of their worst declines ever in China as Q2 sales plunge 30%-41%
By Chan Ho-Him and The Associated PressJuly 11, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 10, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 10, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
When Erling Haaland isn’t playing for Norway in the World Cup, he's investing in a chess championship and playing an animated Viking
Success
When Erling Haaland isn’t playing for Norway in the World Cup, he's investing in a chess championship and playing an animated Viking
By Emma BurleighJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.