Europe’s markets generally more resemble ‘free markets’ (which really means: competetive markets) because they are more heavily and properly regulated.

So, they’re more like ‘fair markets’ than they are ‘free markets’.

You cannot naturally maintain competetive markets over time without some kind of system for counteracting the natural tendency of such markets to consolidate over time.

‘Free markets’ don’t exist, as that phrase is an intentionally vague and confusing propaganda term, that means whatever to uneducated and naive person wants it to mean.

Are they free as in free beer, free lunch?

Are they free as in, free to enter, free to leave?

‘Free’ is a word that has many different, distinct meanings, and it is a hallmark of con artists and cult leaders to use such words and switch from one definition/meaning of the same word, from sentence to sentence, sometimes even within the same sentence.

Look at how quantum mystic type gurus use ‘energy’ to waffle between and conflate the actual, physics definition of ‘energy’ and the colloquial ‘overall emotional disposition’ meaning of ‘energy’.

Its the same thing with ‘free market’ peddlers.