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News & Current Events Mar 31, 2026 at 7:42 PM

Top Brussels official urges Europeans to work from home and drive less

Posted by F0urLeafCl0ver

Top Brussels official urges Europeans to work from home and drive less
POLITICO
Top Brussels official urges Europeans to work from home and drive less
Energy commissioner says the oil crisis triggered by Iran war will bring lengthy upheaval, in a speech reminiscent of the Covid pandemic.
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ComeOnIWantUsername Mar 31, 2026 +202
He should say it to companies, not people. I'm pretty sure most of the people who woulf be able to work from home, would happily do that to not waste time on commute.
202
MiserableTennis6546 Mar 31, 2026 +16
Those companies are buying all the oil and gas they can get their hands on.
16
ComeOnIWantUsername Mar 31, 2026 +9
Which ones? This small law firm or small startup which could allow remote work but prefer not?
9
MiserableTennis6546 Mar 31, 2026 -6
Sorry, thought you meant big chemical firms, steel plants and such. 
-6
DaveVdE Apr 1, 2026 +1
Steel plants mostly burn coal.
1
ren3f Mar 31, 2026 -23
And who make decisions at companies? Right, that's people. Companies are not some magical creature that's out there. If everybody checks it their work could be done at home and ask their manager for permission we can change things. When you stay silent because the company has some rule nothing will ever change. 
-23
International_Bee653 Mar 31, 2026 +20
Oh quit being so dense
20
fra988w Mar 31, 2026 +8
Big Linda from HR energy
8
MostJudgment3212 Apr 1, 2026 +2
Ok Karen
2
Few_Elephant_8410 Mar 31, 2026 +28
My work reinstated work from office instead
28
-sussy-wussy- Mar 31, 2026 +15
The whole world has RTO mandates. It's all about control for the management. Justifying their positions, too. 
15
-Th3Saints- Apr 1, 2026 +4
The major corporations have major investments in real estate, work for home is a direct threat to this assets value and are critical to prop up balance sheets and creative accounting. So the create pressure downwards to other companies to reduce or stop it altogether so it does not become standard.
4
-sussy-wussy- Apr 1, 2026 +1
I get it, but it's also happening in places where it makes zero sense. My country is at war, and yet, the job listings for my industry, the one that has pioneered remote jobs, are in office only. 
1
to_glory_we_steer Mar 31, 2026 +21
I refuse to return to the office, I'm happier and my health has never been better. Convince the companies
21
Commercial-Lemon2361 Mar 31, 2026 +22
Doing that already, and if I have to drive, I take the train. So I am urging „top Brussels official“ to do more and talk less.
22
Faerelith87 Mar 31, 2026 +6
So, are they doing it themselves as well? Or are they still idiots who go to Strasbourg every month.
6
essska Mar 31, 2026 +4
Im so grateful to work from home. I don’t think I could ever go back to an office setting. Been exclusively from home since Covid.
4
ComeOnIWantUsername Apr 1, 2026 +2
Same. I started 2 years before covid, so it's 8 years of remote work now. If my company would ask me to go to office on regular basis, I'd quit
2
Jahsmurf Mar 31, 2026 +1
What is your profession?
1
SparePartsHere Mar 31, 2026 +2
Sir, yes sir! Thank you, sir! Already on it!
2
Ignore_User_Name Mar 31, 2026 +1
Not Europe but.. here we got new laws to make WFO harder and a with extra burden for companies so even those of us who already had.it before COVID are getting it cancel. Some people were forced to quit since they were living in other cities and couldn't relocate just to be in an office making zoom calls all day But this is so not going to happen
1
touristtam Mar 31, 2026 +1
Ok and what about more train to replace air traffic capacity? Or just subsidise existing rail?
1
psyon Apr 1, 2026 +1
Are cities in the EU funded by property taxes or part of income taxes?  A bunch of cities on the US right now are having budget issues due to WFH causing drops in commercial property values leading to lowered tax revenues.  I've never looked into municipal budgets elsewhere in the world to know if they are funded the same way or not though.
1
DaveVdE Apr 1, 2026 +1
Depends on the country. Belgium runs mostly on income tax and consumption taxes like VAT.
1
Xyleksoll Apr 1, 2026 +1
In the country where I currenly reside there are two types of taxes: local taxes (on property, cars etc) due to the local budgets (cities, towns, etc), and national budget taxes (income, VAT, fuel). Local budgets sometimes are alloted cash from the national budget. The funny part is that local taxes are set at a national level with a small margin to be decided by the local authorities.
1
cinyar Apr 1, 2026 +1
I take the tram to work, how about you Dan?
1
Rubicon2-0 Mar 31, 2026 +2
Well he is right, but the same people are the most corrupt having some millions in the pocket...
2
doxxingyourself Mar 31, 2026 +1
Oh shit that’s where Dan Jørgensen went. I apologize on behalf of my country for sending him. That being said, he’s right on this one.
1
maker-sense Mar 31, 2026 -6
Listnook is generally very pro WFH. I can't stand it. All for putting pressure on employers to promote flexibility, but no one glove fits all as a solution. I don't have as many monitors at home, not as big of a desk nor as much natural light. I also have to pay more for heating, and my mental health goes down the drain if my relaxation space becomes my work space. I can WFH, but I choose not to. Being forced during Covid was bad enough. However, I live 2.5km from work and if I time the tram right it's 15 minutes door to door. I have coworkers who spend an hour in traffic each way and would love to be in less.
-6
ComeOnIWantUsername Apr 1, 2026 +10
Then just work from the office if you like it?
10
Legalaway21 Mar 31, 2026 -6
yeah cool im a teacher. i either drive or there wont be any lessons
-6
SirVoltington Mar 31, 2026 +9
I think it’s safe to assume he’s urging people who CAN work from to do that.
9
Legalaway21 Mar 31, 2026 -6
probably. ill rather all in sick for a few weeks and hope it fixes itself.
-6
Ancalites Apr 1, 2026
"Well that's my job done. Time for a few kickbacks to roll in and then a private jet flight to my favourite tax haven for the rest of the month."
0
hestejohny Mar 31, 2026 -4
I hate this donkey so much 
-4
Primary-Debate-549 Mar 31, 2026 -30
... AND the EU tells its member nations behind the scenes to send soldiers, ships, planes and helicopters to the middle east to clear up the strait of Hormuz just as Trump demands. This part is left out because ... too embarassing? (So far UK, yes I know, France, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Italy and even Ukraine (yes, I know, also not EU) are sending forces to fight Iran, and Germany "signals its readiness to contribute to securing the strait of Hormuz", that seems to mean giving weapons to Israel as opposed to sending soldiers)
-30
gtfckdbrnlssbts Mar 31, 2026 +14
> sending forces to fight Iran post sources of them sending troops to fight Iran
14
ComeOnIWantUsername Mar 31, 2026 +11
Lol what? Where did you even get it? Spain is very vocal anti-war, together with France and few more countries even banned US to use their airspace for just sending troops to that region.
11
Several_Ant_9867 Mar 31, 2026 +8
They offered to send forces to secure the straight AFTER the war is ended and an agreement is reached. Not now
8
Joltie Apr 1, 2026 +1
>.. AND the EU tells its member nations behind the scenes to send soldiers, ships, planes and helicopters to the middle east to clear up the strait of Hormuz just as Trump demands. This part is left out because ... too embarassing? Source: "It came to me in a dream."
1
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