The argument for growth is ammunition against the kind of cosy deals that are everywhere in Europe, insulating established businesses from competitive pressure.

The argument for growth is ammunition against the kind of cosy deals that are everywhere in Europe, insulating established businesses from competitive pressure. Half the regulations out of the EU are an attempt to level the playing field so that inter-country competition can break up the kind of legalized corruption that forms when wealthy companies are politically connected, but there's a risk of regulatory capture too. The opposite of growth isn't things staying the same. It's the rest of the world leaving you behind. Not being competitive means being exploited by those currently occupying the nodes of power and money.