US sanctions against five Europeans, including former Commissioner Breton

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European citizens, calling them 'acts of intimidation and coercion'.

"These measures constitute acts of intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty," Macron wrote on X, stressing that "the European Union's digital regulations were adopted through a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council."

The US announced on 23 December sanctions against five European personalities committed to strict regulation of the technology sector, banning them from entering the country. Among those affected by the measures was former European Commissioner Thierry Breton. The State Department justified the sanctions by saying that their actions amounted to 'censorship' to the detriment of American interests. "For far too long, European ideologues have led coordinated efforts to force American platforms to sanction American views they oppose," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X. "The Trump administration will no longer tolerate these blatant acts of extraterritorial censorship," he added. Thierry Breton was European Commissioner for the Internal Market from 2019 to 2024, with wide-ranging responsibilities, particularly in digital and industrial matters. Other personalities sanctioned include representatives of NGOs fighting online disinformation and incitement to hatred, including Imran Ahmed, Clare Melford, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, founder of HateAid, a German NGO, and Josephine Ballon, from the same association.

The entry ban decided by the United States against five European officials, including two German citizens, as well as former Commissioner Thierry Breton 'is unacceptable'. Thus in a post on X the head of Berlin's diplomacy, Johann Wadephul, who reminds us that "the Digital Services Act (which Washington challenges, ed.) guarantees that everything that is illegal offline is also illegal online." "The Dsa," he further emphasises, "was adopted democratically by the EU for the EU and has no extraterritorial effect. Wadephul then urges to "clarify differences of views with the US through transatlantic dialogue in order to strengthen our partnership".

Spain, although it does not have citizens affected by the measures like France and Germany, also condemns the 'unacceptable' sanctions against five European citizens and officials, including former Commissioner Thierry Breton, who were banned from entering the United States. "A secure digital space, free from illegal content and disinformation, is a fundamental value for democracy in Europe and everyone's responsibility," reads a note from the Spanish Foreign Ministry, which calls the measures between partners and allies "unacceptable".