Zombie Steel Mills - Why State Aid Delays the Inevitable

Examines why state aid directed at keeping unviable steel mills operating produces worse outcomes than managed closure for workers, communities and markets. Analyses the political economy of government intervention, with case studies of Ilva/Taranto and Romania's long products sector. Argues for redirecting public funds from sustaining production to funding structured closure and worker transition, and for reform of EU state aid rules to permit direct closure compensation equivalent to the framework used in the coal sector.