According the BBC, Neelie Kroes joked that her record setting fine against Intel would be redistributed from the American-based company and its employees to European taxpayers.
Ms Kroes joked in her own news conference that Intel would now have to change its latest advertising slogan from "sponsors of tomorrow" to "the sponsor of the European taxpayer".
This is NOT an appropriate joke, especially in today's environment. In the global economic recession, the urge to resort to protectionism is rising in governments throughout the world. Rather than using tariffs and other traditional protectionist actions, however, many are looking to alternative means like competition law, standards, and procurement preferences. This is what some have called Protectionism 2.0.
Comments like this will only fan the flames of protectionist sentiments and push the global economy into a dangerous situation.