Chillin'Competition

Professor Heike Schweitzer, one of Europe’s most prominent and influential competition law scholars, passed away earlier this week. She has left an indelible mark in law and policy discussions as a mentor to generations of students and a frequent adviser to agencies and governments.

Those of us who were fortunate enough to work with, and learn from, her will miss Heike dearly. At the same time, she will very much remain a presence in our lives.

I would frequently share my thoughts with Heike (I recently wrote that every conversation with her is memorable). Even when I did not, her critical eye was the benchmark against which I assessed the quality of my work. ‘What would Heike think?’ has been a guide since we first met back in 2006. I do not see how this will ever change.

The qualities for which she will be remembered are obvious to anyone who spent more than five minutes with her. The first thing that comes to mind is the natural authority she displayed, unassumingly, in any conversation. It came from her in-depth knowledge and her ability to spot the crucial issue in any discussion (all of that peppered, as I learnt over time, with her sense of humour and quick wit).

Heike’s intellect and clarity of thought allowed her to engage meaningfully with scholars and professionals from a wide variety of persuasions. Her convictions and ideas never stood in the way of a respectful exchange of views. Those of us who were fortunate enough to study under her supervision benefitted immensely from these virtues: we always felt we would get to write our own thesis, not somebody else’s.

Any portrait of Heike would be incomplete without mentioning her generosity. Many will point out how hard-working she was. She was precisely because of how much she gave back to the community.

Her appointment as a Special Adviser to Commissioner Vestager on digital competition policy or her crucial contribution to Germany’s foremost competition law treatise are just two of many examples. As an academic at heart, however, Heike’s students always were the primary beneficiaries of her generous spirit.

May she rest in peace.