Europe's Awakening
The European Union is finally taking seriously a scenario long considered unthinkable: what would happen if the United States decided to cut access to American technologies? This once-theoretical question is becoming a major strategic concern.
European Dependency Exposed
Europe depends massively on American technologies. Cloud computing (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), operating systems, processors, productivity tools, cybersecurity... The list is long and worrying. A cutoff, even partial, would paralyze entire sectors of the European economy.
Contingency Plans
Brussels is quietly working on several fronts: strengthening European cloud capabilities (Gaia-X), supporting semiconductor manufacturers (European Chips Act), and developing alternatives in critical software. But the road is long.
The Huawei Precedent
The Huawei affair served as a wake-up call. When the United States banned the Chinese company from accessing American technologies, the impact was devastating. Europe understood it could one day suffer the same fate.
A Matter of Sovereignty
Beyond economics, this is a question of sovereignty. A Europe unable to function without American technological approval cannot claim true strategic autonomy. The challenge is immense, but the stakes are existential.