Part 5/12:
The European Union, comprising 27 nations with a combined population of 450 million people and a GDP of $21 trillion, acts as a counterbalance. It is a unified bloc that negotiates collectively on trade, foreign policy, and tech regulation, effectively challenging American dominance. This unity threatens U.S. economic and geopolitical interests, especially as the EU begins to assert regulatory authority over big tech companies like Apple, Meta, Google, and Musk’s own X platform, imposing hefty fines for violations of European laws.