critical imbalance for Europe lies in software.1 Economically and politically, US high tech makes Europe look like the loser that Twitter portrays it as on a daily basis. Europe’s digital dependency on the United States has quietly become a geopolitical risk.2 The tariff wars did not create that vulnerability. They exposed it. If that infrastructure were ever used as a political weapon, the consequences would be devastating.

In 2026, this scenario is no longer that far-fetched. The US economy needs Europe buying its tech. One year without EU income would be very difficult. But Europe completely depends on US tech to function. Even a temporary disruption to core US platforms would severely disrupt European administration, logistics, and finance. With the rise of AI technologies, the dependency will only increase.3