Hello, welcome back to a special series of MLEX podcasts designed to make sense of

2023 and what the new year is likely to bring. My name is James Panicki, I'm Lex's Asia Pacific Senior Editor,

and it's great to have your company.

Today we return to Europe to discuss the legacy of Magrita Vestaya.

Yes, that's despite the fact that the bloc's competition chief

still has over a year left to serve in the role.

Yet with a number of key antitrust battles likely to be resolved in 2023, the impact of Vestayor's time with the European

Commission may become increasingly apparent. With his thoughts on the year to come from Brussels,

here's M-Mex chief correspondent Nicholas Hurst.

Few European commissioners have had as big an impact on the political debate in Brussels

as Danish politician Margaret Vesteyer. As European Competition Commissioner, she has

find Google billions of euros, forced Apple to pay back billions of

euros and extra taxes, and crafted landmark new powers targeting big tech and Chinese companies

adopted last year. But her time at the helm of EU competition enforcement is likely drawing

to an end.

2023 will be her ninth and last full year in the job.

Given that, in an ideal world, she ought to have half a dozen high-profile antitrust fines

and press conferences lined up.

But I'm sorry to say, the reality is probably more prosaic.

Vestager has a formidable inbox of things to deal with this year.

First, she will have to execute on the big dossiers of last year.

Notice for this she's going to have to put in place teams to tackle big tech and Chinese subsidies

...