Meh. My money is in emerging markets. Not European malaise. Maybe its a great place to retire - but it certainly isn't leading the world in technology output. Where is your Amazon? Where is your Alibaba?
Where is your good quality food, vacation days, leaving-work-at-five-o'clock, unlimited sick leave, parental leave, social mobility, and happiness and life satisfaction?
"For me, Europe is more than just a single market. More than money, more than the euro. It was always about values." — President Jean-Claude Juncker, 2017 State of the Union Address.
15% of global GDP today, as you say, and considered the best place in the world to live by most measure.
> I can not understand the Hacker News focus on European law given its declining prospects. Europe is irrelevant.
I'd wager that a large percentage of users of this forum who are not from the US are from Europe.