In the US, the election of Donald Trump for a second term has significant implications for antitrust enforcement at the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). New leadership is expected to implement an agenda that hews more closely to traditional antitrust norms but will be an aggressive enforcer within that framework.
In Europe, enforcement will continue to be shaped by evolving political and regulatory dynamics. The new appointments to the European Commission (EC) will balance competition enforcement and the desire to strengthen the competitiveness of European Union companies. This includes continued focus on dominance concerns in digital markets and sustainability, reflecting broader EU policy priorities. Similarly, the UK’s new government has emphasized that Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enforcement should better factor in competitiveness of the UK economy. The CMA’s chair resigned in response, but the implications of the agency’s post-Brexit interventionist position in scrutinizing global transactions remain to be seen. However, recent collaboration between the EC and CMA is expected to bring more harmony between outcomes.
