Tech Won't Save Us Europe’s Subservience to the United States w/ Ben Wray
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Dec 11, 2025 In this discussion, Ben Wray, a researcher focused on the platform economy and author of the Gig Economy Project, dives into Europe's fraught relationship with U.S. pressure over tech and labor rights. He explores the Dutch government's short-lived nationalization of Nexperia amid geopolitical tensions. Wray critiques Europe’s dependency on both the U.S. and China, highlighting how companies like Nexperia exemplify this 'weaponized interdependence.' He also sheds light on the implications of the EU's labor policies, emphasizing the risks of 'Uberization' in vulnerable sectors.
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Chips As Geopolitical Leverage
- Nexperia, a Dutch-headquartered chip firm bought by China’s Wingtech, became a geopolitical flashpoint showing chips are strategic assets.
- Nationalization by the Netherlands and the swift reversal revealed Europe’s limited power in US-China tech conflict.
Rapid Nationalization Then Reversal
- The Dutch nationalized Nexperia on September 30, then reversed the decision six weeks later amid geopolitical pushback.
- The issue was ultimately settled only after the US removed Wingtech from its entity list during a Trump–Xi trade agreement.
Europe's Fragile Chip Position
- The global semiconductor chain is concentrated in a few countries, with the Netherlands a unique European node via ASML and firms like Nexperia.
- That concentration makes small countries vulnerable to geopolitical squeezes over chip access.