"Digital sovereignty is not achieved by copying existing data-hungry and polarising platform models"

As a Green MEP, you have been campaigning for years for a free and democratic internet that is independent, secure and fair. What progress has been made at EU level in recent years towards achieving this goal? What EU legislation do you consider particularly helpful in shaping Europe’s digital transformation in a confident manner?

With the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU has, for the first time, established effective rules to counter the power of large platforms, and has introduced greater transparency, accountability and competition. The AI Act also sets global standards for the democratic and human rights-based regulation of AI. These laws demonstrate that Europe is capable of setting its own digital rules, rather than bowing to the business models of large tech companies. All that is missing now is the political will within the European Commission to actually enforce our laws.

At least since Trump’s re-election, there has been repeated talk of so-called ‘digital sovereignty’. Europe lacks digital sovereignty due to our heavy reliance on countries such as China and the US. Do you agree with this analysis? Where do you see Europe’s greatest digital dependencies?

Europe is currently heavily dependent on a small number of US and, to some extent, Chinese providers for key digital infrastructure. This applies in particular to cloud services, social networks, platforms, online services, app stores, AI models, as well as semiconductor and hardware supply chains. Whoever controls the digital infrastructure also wields economic and political power. 

A handful of major social media platforms decide whose views are seen and whose are suppressed. This means that non-European governments now have powerful means at their disposal to influence public opinion in the EU. The US, for example, has set itself the goal in its National Security Strategy of changing the political course in Europe and supporting ‘patriotic’ movements and parties. In Germany’s case, that is the far-right, Putin-friendly AfD. That is why this dependence poses a strategic risk to our democracy.

What needs to happen in Brussels, Berlin and other capitals to address these dependencies? Is legislation enough here, or are other approaches needed?

Regulation and enforcement remain important, but they are not enough on their own. Europe needs an active industrial and investment policy that strengthens European cloud, AI, software and infrastructure offerings, makes strategic use of public procurement and promotes open standards. Digital sovereignty is achieved not only through regulations, but also through a country’s own technological capabilities and investment. 

You are one of the co-founders of the EuroStack initiative. Could you briefly explain what a ‘stack’ is and why, in your view, a ‘EuroStack’ is important for Europe’s digital sovereignty?

A ‘stack’ refers to the entire digital value chain – from chips, networks and cloud infrastructure to software, data and AI applications. The EuroStack is a concept aimed at establishing European alternatives across as many of these areas as possible and improving the links between them, so that Europe is no longer dependent on a handful of non-European corporations. The aim is not to create digital silos, but to achieve greater resilience, competition and democratic control over our own digital infrastructure. 

If you had an unlimited budget and legislative power, what would be your first step towards strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty?

I would invest heavily in a European digital infrastructure and ensure that it is firmly embedded in public procurement. Europe needs its own digital infrastructure that is grounded in our democratic values and is not dependent on the interests of a handful of global platform companies. Above all, we must have the courage to stand firm and not allow ourselves to be blackmailed or intimidated by the US.

First of all, I would carry out a comprehensive analysis of Europe’s strengths and weaknesses across the entire digital ecosystem and invest specifically in areas where Europe already has a competitive advantage or can close strategic gaps. Instead of playing catch-up with US corporations in the field of generative AI, Europe should listen to experts and focus more on sector-specific AI solutions for industry, healthcare, transport and the energy sector, whilst promoting open-source technologies and digital commons. Digital sovereignty is not achieved by copying existing data-hungry and polarising platform models, but by systematically building on our own European strengths, which are rooted in our values.

This interview was first done in German, to be published on boell.de. 

The views and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue.

Read the policy paper on European Tech Sovereignty by The Greens / EFA.