Why safety has become more important than low prices

The era of buying where it's cheapest, whether it's energy from Russia or chips from China, is over. For three decades, we lived by this simple rule: efficiency was king. The time for maximum efficiency is over. Today, Europe is making a historic move: it's choosing to be sovereign, even if it means everything will become more expensive. Instead of waiting for recipes from Washington, Brussels has activated its own survival strategy on three fronts:

• 1. Whoever makes the rules, runs the game

The United States has withdrawn from vital organizations, such as the WTO's appeals court, blocking the rules of global trade. The EU has taken up the baton with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EU AI Act. The message is clear: "If you want access to Europe's 450 million consumers, play by our rules.” It is no longer a world of total freedom, but one of conditional access, as the European Commission's Strategic Foresight Report shows.

• 2. An industrial army of its own

Dependence on the American "security umbrella" is now seen as a risk. Europe is investing heavily in autonomy through the European Defence Fund (EDF). Projects such as the sixth-generation fighter jet (FCAS) and the European tank are no longer just plans, but funding priorities to eliminate dependence on American licenses that can be blocked by export controls. According to data from the European Defence Agency (EDA), this independence costs billions, but it is the price of survival in the event of a definitive American withdrawal.

• 3. The return of the "Strategic State"

The idea that the free market knows best where to put the money is history. France and Germany are pumping massive subsidies into "Important Projects of Common European Interest” (IPCEI) for batteries, hydrogen and semiconductors. The aim is not the lowest price, but the certainty that critical technologies are manufactured on European soil. It is an economy of resilience, where security of supply beats the price tag, according to the European Council on the implementation of the "Made in Europe 2030” strategy.

• "Sovereignty Tax”

Europe is "getting stronger”. We will be more secure in the face of external shocks, but we will pay what we call a Sovereignty Tax. Money will be more expensive, investments will be politically directed towards strategic sectors, and the European consumer will feel that the price of freedom is inevitably reflected in the cost of living.