That is a cultural reference because Europeans do care that much about scale. That is only important as a show of power. But it has little positive balance on everyday life. So it’s a difference in values.
I'm not really talking about technical scale here. I'm talking about economic scale. In those terms, it does indeed seem that the EU is falling behind.
Also, it is not just a show of power, because these companies are reaping economic benefits from their power.
> But it has little positive balance on everyday life.
That's really your personal opinion. Many people (me included) would argue that the scale of these companies definitely makes a difference in your everyday life.
Many people would then be arguing sideways past the GP comment, which made no claim to the extent of the difference, rather that it was not a positive one.
As you say, though, it's definitely objectively clear from an economical standpoint.