First, I believe we must stop asking “what does the future bring”, as if it is pre-determined and destined to be generated in Silicon Valley or China.  Europeans must realise and accept that we can actually be in charge of our own future. The historic concept of a “Good American Future” no longer exists as a global reference point; we are instead witnessing the rapid emergence of an Orwellian “bad future” where resources are owned rather than shared, winner-takes-all dynamics dominate, and even the world’s most powerful democracy discards established norms, laws, and order.

This bleak outlook has severe consequences; for example I often observe that 70% of young Europeans between the ages of 25 and 35 now say they will not have children because they feel the future does not look good. Let that sink in for a minute.

To address this, I see a painful but overdue and necessary “divorce” occurring between Europe and the United States. We must ask ourselves how we can possibly remain sovereign when some 90%+ of the EU’s IT budget – amounting to some 250 billion euros per year – is spent on American technology. I believe we must establish a pan-European view of the future that centers on our core humanist values and human flourishing. Becoming the “United States of Europe” is an inevitable and necessary path forward to take back tomorrow, because if we do not claim our own future, no one else will.