[graemep]

That does not prevent something like this project happening which includes 23 different European countries, and not even through the EU.

The point of the EU is to provide unified markets, and capital flows pretty freely between major European economies (including those outside the EU) so I do not think that is it.

[nradov]

Meanwhile three of those EU member states can't be manage to cooperate on their 6th-generation fighter programs.

https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-france-europe-fighte...

[graemep]

That is something that remains outside the EU's remit because it is military and decision lie in the hands of member states.

I was rebutting a claim that differences in regulations preventing capital flows. That is not true in general in our globalised world (capital clearly flows freely between many countries) and certainly not true in the EU.

It is possible that the EU loses somewhat from not having the central budget that the US federal government has which which to back big projects, but, in most cases, the bigger EU states are big enough to back most things (as is the UK) but will not do so. The lack of fiscal centralisation in the EU also affects its financial stability but I do not think that is directly related to this problem.

As for sixth general fighters, a number of smaller economies than Germany alone have or plan their own sixth generation fighters, or have done so (some programmes have merged). Again, a difference in attitude and priorities.