Macron vows to defend digital sovereignty and denounces US visa restrictions on EU officials
Macron warns against intimidation harming European digital sovereignty and regulatory autonomy and denounces US visa restrictions on EU personnel.
The United States’ visa restrictions on former European Commissioner Thierry Breton and four other European leaders have drawn criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron, who has called the action an assault on Europe’s digital independence.
“France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures,” Macron wrote in a post that was shared on X on Wednesday.
“These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty,” he said, arguing that the action amounted to pressure on Europe’s regulatory system.
Macron emphasized that genuine democratic mechanisms were used to establish the EU’s digital regulations. “The European Parliament and the Council adopted the European Union’s digital regulations after a democratic and sovereign process,” he stated.
He went on to say that the regulations were not intended to single out any nation, but rather to be applied equitably throughout Europe. Macron stated, “They apply within Europe to ensure fair competition among platforms, without targeting any third country, and to ensure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online.”
“The rules governing the European Union’s digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe,” the French president said in opposition to any outside influence on EU digital policy.
Macron stated that in order to withstand such pressure, France would collaborate closely with European allies and institutions. “We will continue to defend our digital sovereignty and our regulatory autonomy alongside the European Commission and our European partners,” he continued.
