Meet BMW’s new CEO, how will influencers cope with Instagram’s ‘no likes’ policy? And more top news

The news professionals in Europe are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments. 

BMW has appointed its Head of Production Oliver Zipse to be the next CEO. Zipse, who joined the German carmaker in 1991 as a trainee, will take over from outgoing chief Harald Krueger. Zipse successfully expanded BMW’s efficient production network in Hungary, China and the US and his appointment signals a shift to electric and self-driving cars. He pledged to have 25 electrified vehicles by 2023 during the announcement of BMW's new Mini Electric. The number of electric car models available in Europe will triple by 2021, according to European Federation for Transport and Environment experts. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

Also… EasyJet has poached Ryanair’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Bellew, to be its own COO in a rare cross-over of talent between the two rivals.  ? Here's what people are saying.

Instagram users in Italy and Ireland can no longer see the number of 'likes' their posts receive. The social media platform wants to foster a less-competitive environment, but the move is likely to alarm Instagram “influencers,” who fear the removal of the like metric could water down their potential to profit from highly-lucrative sponsored posts. Seven international markets have now disabled 'likes,' after Canada first made the switch two months ago. Research showed Instagram was the worst social media platform for young peoples' mental health as users regularly felt pressure to post well-received content. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

Vodafone is poised to own the largest next-generation network in Europe. The European Commission approved its €18.4b takeover of Liberty Global’s cable assets in Germany and eastern Europe, reports Bloomberg, after it promised smaller rival Telefonica Deutschland access to its high-speed network. Competition regulators had raised concerns over the risk of reduced competition and higher prices. It’s the most valuable European telecoms merger in a decade and Vodafne’s largest expansion since its 2010 dotcom hostile takeover of German manufacturer Mannesmann. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

Also… The European Union's competition authority has hit back at US tech companies this week for breaching antitrust rules, imposing a €242m fine on chipmaker Qualcomm for predatory pricing after announcing a probe into Amazon. ? Here’s what people are saying.

French unions have vowed to strike after the government asked them to work two years longer and retire at 64. President Emmanuel Macron’s reforms include a single pension scheme instead of the current 42. The reforms mean those retiring at the current official retirement age of 62 will not receive a full pension – they must work until they are 64 to be eligible. French lawyers, covered under their own scheme, said the reform was a death sentence for their profession. France is renowned for its focus on work-life balance with its official 35-hour working week one of the shortest in Europe. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

The traditional German butcher business has hit a snag, with the number of independent shops halved in the last 20 years. But it’s not for lack of demand, reports the BBC. Average annual sales per business increased by more than 60% over that time, surpassing €1.4m in 2018, according to German Butchers’ Association. Younger generations of Germans are put off because it is hard, labour-intensive work — you could say they think it’s the wurst… Experts say an improvement in wages and working conditions could help to reverse the trend. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

Idea of the Day: Employers, boards and governments, have a responsibility to make sure people are learning the skills they need for a changing workplace, says Harriet Green, CEO and chairman of IBM APAC, but so do individuals.

"We need to ensure that the huge skill gaps that exist around cyber-security, around blockchain, around cloud are being met with agile and innovative ways of working.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— Cathy Anderson and Andrea Beattie