It describes Europe as an economically weakening continent, with a declining share of global GDP and an excessive number of regulations, which is expected to stifle entrepreneurship and growth. The consequence of this is that: *it is losing its share of global GDP – from 25 percent in 1990 to 14 percent present – in part due to national and supranational regulations that undermine creativity and diligence." It appears as a space in which, alternatively of supporting development, a regulatory logic dominates, oriented more towards control and regulation than towards innovation and economical expansion. This is crucial because, from the US perspective, an economically weakening Europe is becoming an increasingly unuseful partner and at the same time an increasingly possible burden – especially in a situation where it requires military protection and is incapable to co-finance the common safety strategy on equal terms.
