Top 33 Margrethe Vestager Quotes

I’ve asked myself what is the worst thing that can happen if I take this decision and go along with it. Very often, I find that the worst thing that can happen is something that I can live with. And if that’s the case, I will do it.

In Europe, we would congratulate anyone who is successful. But congratulations stop if we find that you start to misuse a dominant position.

You need to have the advice from experienced people coming from different kinds of educational and backgrounds in general, and then you can make a decision. But you need people around you that you trust to give you advice, and you need to make sure that the facts of the case are presented.

The benefits of globalization do not trickle down automatically. It takes politics to make sure that there is a benefit.

I remember when I cut my hair. I used to have hair to my shoulders. Immediately, people said, ‘Oh, but that’s the power cut. Now she looks like a man.’

To me, a tax heaven is where everyone pays their fair share. In that respect, I am not quite sure we are in tax heaven yet.

When we do merger rulings, we have strict deadlines: 25 days. It is extremely intensive, and you must decide how you can do it before your spouse says, ‘You know I still love you, but please spend some more time at home.’

Where I grew up, it was a very open home.

We want a free market, but we know that the paradox of a ‘free’ market is that sometimes you have to intervene. You have to make sure it’s not the law of the jungle but the laws of democracy that works.

History shows the power-grab in every religion once it gets organised. And then it’s people making you do things that you don’t agree with and setting the rules. But it does mean something to me to believe that we are not alone – the human animal is quite a scary thing, left on its own.

Consumers depend on us to make sure that competition is fair and open, and it’s my responsibility to make that happen.

Few people think about politics every day. But they are in the market every day.

It is very important, to have a robust digital economy, that the citizens regain the trust in how their data are being processed and who can access them.

If you’re in a situation where your effective tax rate is so much lower than any other company, then obviously you have a much better position when it comes to compete on prices and everything else.

I know what I need. I don’t want people to tell me what I need.

I think it is one of the fundamentals, not only of the European Union but also of free trade, that competition is fair.

I have a very strong tool in competitional enforcement: To do merger control, to look into cartels, misuse of dominant position – when member states hand out favors, for instance, in terms of tax breaks. But even though that’s a strong tool, it cannot solve everything.

I have learned that European politics is very much like Danish politics. You have all the rumours.

On Amazon, you find retailers that want Amazon to do part of their services. Those, you don’t find to the same degree on Google Shopping. On Google Shopping, you find sort of the bigger brands, those who want to have the customer relationship themselves – the data, the payment details, the search patterns.

Planning is like taking on blinders. I think it is a wise thing to be open to whatever shows up on your doorstep.

I think any company should compete on the quality of their products, their prices, the novelty they can produce, their services, because that would be fair competition.

You can be big, and you can be successful, but you cannot abuse your power to stop others from challenging you from being the next big thing in five or ten years.

I do not have an issue with specific countries or companies; what I’m interested in are schemes which allow for preferential treatment, for selectivity… If this has to change, it’s countries that will have to change this.

I think a lot can be said for consolidation, but I think it should be done for the right reasons.

Part of being not only a liberal but also a human is to make your own decisions.

Most politicians are either generalists or specialists. It’s very rare that a politician is both.

I’m quite enthusiastic about any kind of gadget and app and feature and things that enable me to have a very convenient lifestyle. We buy our groceries on the Internet; I buy furniture, clothes for myself and my kids.

We have to take our democracy back. We cannot leave it to Facebook or Snapchat or anyone else. We have to take democracy back and renew it. Society is about people and not about technology.

I think it’s a completely good thing to want to do business, to want to make money and be a success in the marketplace, to get the attention of customers. I’m not in the business of pointing fingers or blaming companies, but there is a limit to everything.

If you, as a company, can get a deal that I, as a company, cannot get, you can compete with me but not on the merits, because your tax burden is not the same as mine.

Basically, I come to Washington a couple of times a year, sort of on a strictly business basis: talk to my counterparts at the Federal Trade Commission, of the DOJ, give an occasional talk, very often in a lawyer or academic environment.

The list of plane reservations I keep on my phone – it’s very, very, very long.

When I was very young and came into politics, I basically thought ideas would do the trick.