The EU is about to die. The US-EU trade deal is just the latest proof of Europe’s decline. Let’s be clear: this deal isn’t a scandal. It’s not even surprising. It’s just the brutal reality of where we stand in the world today. No leverage. No unity. No relevance. A mirror held to our face. And what we see is painful, especially for those of us who believe in the idea of Europe. Because I do believe in Europe. In a strong, competitive and united Europe. It’s a plea to fix what’s broken before it’s too late. But the current non-federal EU setup is neither fish nor fowl. It has become the problem. Let’s look at the hard numbers: - In 2008, the EU and the US had around 16 trillion USD in GDP. - Today: the US is at approximately 28 trillion, the EU at 18 trillion. - That’s plus 75 percent versus just 12 percent. - Germany is stuck in recession - In 2005, 4 of the world’s 10 largest companies were European. - In 2024: zero. Why? Because Europe is fundamentally broken. 27 members, zero alignment. No capital union. No unified tech or energy strategy. Regulatory arbitrage everywhere, even inside the system. We’re weakening ourselves from within. We don’t act like a union. We act like 27 separate middle powers stuck in endless negotiation. While we’re still debating whether we should act, others have already built and delivered. The EU has become a bureaucratic tumor that keeps growing uncontrollably. More layers, more delays, more vetoes. Less output, less speed, less relevance. So where do we go from here? - We need urgent, bold reforms. - A real capital markets union. - Clear strategic priorities. - Dramatic deregulation and debureaucratization - And the political will to act as one. Without that, I predict more Brexits in the next 10 years. And with them, the collapse of the EU as we know it. And it starts with the foundation for everything: capital. We need one unified European capital market. One stock exchange with deep liquidity, not 20 fragmented ones with empty order books. A true single market for investments, equity, IPOs and venture funding. Without that, we won’t finance innovation. And without funding and supporting innovation, Europe will remain irrelevant, and will have to accept whatever "deal" we’re given.