The World Economic Forum quoted a study supposedly showing that Europeans, that think their country has lost influence on the global scale, are also likely to support nationalistic politics.

On first sight, this is an understandable way of thinking. After all, it is in our very nature to attribute negative events to external sources. From that perspective it makes perfect sense that the diminishing relevance of our countries, economices, and societies is due to the world around us working against us. Focusing on ourselves will help ous out of this trap!

But then again, probably it won't. Let's look at the diminishing relevance of individual European countries. China and India, have grown massively. In the case of China one can serve a market of 1.2bn people in one single country now. The US invests heavily in keeping their leading position (and there people, too, feel highly threatened by China) and tries to remain competitive. Focus of companies is directed towards "high growth markets", other than the ones already mentioned that includes many countries in Asia and Latin America (to a lesser extent Africa). Russia struggles in this environment, and is probably the only one of the three behemoths that's turning to violent measures to stay relevant internally and externally. Back to Europe: A group of 28 (soon 27) countries, of which only German, the UK, France, and Italy make the top 10 in terms of GDP (the insufficient, but only standardized measure of an economies size). Everyone else is far behind. In fact, the whole EU together roughly matches the US economy.

Now, size is not everything. But to stay relevant on a global scale it certainly helps. The view of Barack Obama, that a free trade deal with the UK is prioritized far behind the one with the EU, exemplifies this nicely. It is not only economically, but also in terms of military and political power, that size matters.

From that perspective, simply abandoning the idea of a common European economic area should be in everybodies interest. Also those, that want more relevance of their countries on a global scale. What this probably shows though, is a need to course-correct the European Union (or its perception with European citizens). To stay globally competitive, the single market is of benefit for everyone in the EU (and to those with access to the single market through bilateral agreements). Staying a globally relevant economy should be the EU's goal, and aligning on that goal would help gaining support from Europeans.