Because they know it’s embarrassing to be a US subject but they can make a pedantic leap and pretend there’s a difference between citizen and subject just because the European ruling class creates a little bit of smoke, mirrors, and distance between them and their yank overlords. Plus, western Europeans seem to not like to think about the fact that they no longer run their old empires.

Like the old celebrity at the bar who used to be famous; nobody wants to hurt their feelings so everyone pretends they’re going to make a comeback any day now. Except western Euros are both the old celeb and the people protecting the celeb’s ego. And they all now spend their time polishing the furniture in their ex-understudy’s changing room.