What if a federal Europe wasn’t just a political philosophy, but one of the main drivers of the economic well being of its citizens?

One of the key drivers of Europe’s economic future is the competitiveness of European companies on the international stage.

A stronger federal Europe that is able to better protect its strategic interests and invest the necessary resources into key sectors such as AI, robotics, defense, energy, and more, creates stronger businesses.

Stronger businesses generate more hiring, a stronger euro, and a higher standard of living for Europeans.

Why can a US manager at Walmart make more than an European executive with a master’s degree from a top institution? Because the United States has companies that generate the revenue and scale capable of supporting those high salaries.

A federal Europe is a strong Europe, and a strong Europe directly translates into stronger Europeans. This becomes increasingly important in a winner takes all world, something we are already seeing in automation, artificial intelligence, finance, and social networks.

When Europe decides to truly compete, it will already have one of the strongest consumer bases in the world and millions of highly educated workers. Imagine a world with an Italian Nike, a French McDonald’s, a German Apple.

Not second rate copies, but real competitors that are just as good as, and many times better than, their American or Chinese counterparts.

That is what a federal Europe represents.

We just have to want it.