Nick Clegg’s Europhile leanings aren't only a political and professional matter, as a distinguished remainer and former MEP, however a private one too.
Meta’s president of worldwide affairs has a Dutch mom, a half-Russian father and is fluent in Dutch, German, Spanish and French. His spouse, Miriam González Durántez, a number one worldwide commerce lawyer, is Spanish.
Clegg and González Durántez haven't hidden their eager for house throughout their keep in California, the place they moved with their three youngsters after Mark Zuckerberg employed the previous Liberal Democrat chief in 2018.
Clegg, 55, stated in an interview final 12 months that his “coronary heart belongs massively 5,000 miles away” whereas González Durántez posted on Instagram that she felt like “kissing the bottom” upon a pandemic-delayed return to Spain final 12 months.
That non-public attachment performed a task within the revelation on Wednesday that Clegg, Zuckerberg’s level particular person for coping with authorities relations and coverage around the globe, will partly relocate to London this 12 months. It's understood that Clegg views London as a superb base for coping with points in Europe and Asia, whereas the Monetary Instances, which first reported the story, stated private causes had been a key issue, together with being near his aged dad and mom.
Clegg has beforehand expressed his need to return to Europe, a continent he has described as “very a lot a part of who I'm”. Requested by the FT final 12 months if he needed to spend one other 5 years in California, he stated: “No, no … I’m such a European at coronary heart. I benefit from the work immensely – I’ve received completely no sell-by date concerning the work,” including that his coronary heart was in Europe.
González Durántez, 54, has been extra tongue-in-cheek concerning the limitations of life in California with Clegg and their three sons, by way of her Instagram account. Weeks after shifting to the US, she posted an image of the “British nook” of her native grocery store, displaying a row of Heinz spaghetti tins with the remark “Brexiteers could be proud”. She additionally associated her horror at encountering tinned tortillas: “There must be a world conference forbidding treating tortillas like this.”
The lawyer, who at the moment leads the commerce and EU regulation follow of the US agency Cohen & Gresser, in contrast Silicon Valley to the Vatican in an interview with the Instances. Dwelling within the centre of the US tech business, she stated, was “a bit like residing within the Vatican. It’s barely insular, massively rich. It’s not so diversified and is usually run by males. So very related”.
However there are additionally sturdy skilled causes for Clegg to spend extra time in London. His job as president of worldwide affairs, to which he was promoted in February, entails specializing in regulatory points, which implies a heavy emphasis on the UK and Europe.
Web regulation is being formed by the net security invoice within the UK and, within the EU, by the Digital Companies Act and the Digital Markets Act. The web security invoice, which imposes an obligation of care on tech companies to protect customers from dangerous content material, may very well be reshaped by the brand new prime minister after its progress by means of parliament was shunted into the autumn.
Based on one regulatory knowledgeable, a transfer to the UK is the best factor to do in that context. William Perrin, a trustee at Carnegie UK, stated: “The way forward for the dominant tech corporations is being solid as a lot by regulation as by the market. Europe and the UK are shaping trendy regulation. It is smart for senior executives to be right here.”
So for Clegg’s choice, there is a component of head in addition to coronary heart.
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