Are Monopolies Necessary ?

In an era dominated by American and Chinese giants, the fragmentation of the market may appear to be a weakness. In certain sectors, critical mass, network effects, financial clout, and technological expertise seem to necessitate dominant companies capable of investing heavily, innovating rapidly, and imposing their standards.Should we therefore accept or even encourage monopolies or near-monopolies in order to survive in global competition? The question is crucial, but it is also deeply ambivalent. For what strengthens a power externally can weaken competition, stifle innovation, and penalize consumers internally.

This session therefore aims to explore a central tension of our time: how can we reconcile economic sovereignty with competitive discipline? Should Europe relax its doctrine to foster the emergence of true global champions? And at what point does concentration cease to be a lever of power and become a factor of inefficiency, rent-seeking, and capture? Can competition still be defended as a cardinal principle when global economic rivalry is driving, everywhere else, the concentration of power and the rise of powerful industrial blocs?