Jean-François Fallacher didn’t so much give an interview in Der Spiegel as hand Berlin a shopping list. The headline item reads national pride, the fine print reads fresh equity. He calls it an invitation to “talk.” Everyone else would call it fundraising with better lighting.

The pitch sounds noble. Europe needs its own space networks, not another decade of explaining to ministers why the internet in orbit belongs to California. The story lands well on TV. It also lands on taxpayers.

France already waved the flag and found the wallet. The UK guards OneWeb’s special rights like a family heirloom, which makes the whole setup feel like a reunion where every relative holds a veto. Germany is the missing piece. The collection is almost complete, only the biggest economy is still at the bar.

Telcos are circling with earnest concern. They speak softly about national security, resilience, and rural coverage, and they do it while glancing at their balance sheets. Public cash makes private headaches go away. If a government agrees to “invest,” a lot of risk takes a quiet taxi home.

Underneath the noble language sits a simple trade. Eutelsat wants time and money to catch up. Low Earth Orbit is a speed game, ground terminals cost real cash, and marketing can only sprint for so long before engineering has to pass the baton. The company needs friends with deep pockets who like press conferences.

Berlin now gets to play kingmaker. If it wires the funds, we will hear about European champions and sovereign capability and a brave new chapter. If it hesitates, the lecture becomes one about caution and fiscal prudence. Either way, the satellites will still have to work, and customers will still test them against the thing that already does.

Everyone knows the quiet part. Sovereignty sells, especially when it comes with glossy animations and a map full of beams. What really decides this is performance and price. If the network is fast, affordable, and easy to use, it wins. If not, the speeches keep getting longer while the market keeps moving.

So yes, bring a chequebook if you want the photo on the steps and the headline about Europe’s return to form. Just remember what you are buying. Not a fairy tale about autonomy, but runway and the chance to build something that can survive contact with reality.

The orbit is unforgiving, and so is a customer with options.