Merkel's legacy for Germany and the EU is devastating. Many leaders of the 2010s whom we once heralded as liberal defenders of Western democracies have proven to be the exact opposite. From shuttering nuclear power and building dependence on Russian gas to acceding to Putin's weaponisation of migration to test European resolve, her legacy is catastrophic. At the height of the 2015 migrant crisis, more than 10,000 people were entering Germany's southern border daily. Over 90% of arrivals were not checked !The political consequences are evident now. At the time, I was close to the Brexit negotiations. The migrant crisis was decisive in the British public's vote for Brexit, alongside the unwillingness of European leaders to offer David Cameron something substantial he could present as evidence of 'EU reform'. Of course, the greatest irony of all is that everything we thought these leaders stood for is undermined by an actual assessment of their legacy. We are at a similar turning point with AI. The decisions we make now about energy, sovereignty and growth will shape the balance of power for decades and determine whether Western democracies remain strong enough to defend their ideals. Amid the public hysteria about AI wiping out humanity, we should remember how much damage can be done when moral certainty takes the place of political judgment. "Stop AI" is the new "Stop nuclear," "Go green,” or “Wir Schaffen Dass.” Each promises a simple answer while avoiding the harder questions: How do we sustain innovation, generate prosperity and retain control over our own future? And we need to be honest about trade-offs. What does it mean for the United States (as Europe is no longer in contention), if it cedes its technology advantage in the age of Intelligence production? Europe's experience over the last decade shows us that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We cannot afford to learn that lesson all over again with AI. The US is the standard-bearer now. IMHO, the existential risk is not that AI ends humanity: it is that the West (and US) stops leading it.