Europeans demand more technological independence from the US and China

2026-06-24 09:19:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

European Union citizens are increasingly supporting the idea of ??strengthening Europe's digital sovereignty, while concerns about dependence on US and Chinese tech companies are growing. According to the latest Eurobarometer report, a majority of Europeans want the EU to invest more in digital infrastructure and services controlled by the bloc itself.

Currently, around 80% of the digital infrastructure and technology used in Europe comes from outside the EU. The market is dominated by American companies such as Google, Microsoft and Apple, as well as Chinese giants such as Alibaba and ByteDance, the owner of the TikTok platform.

The strongest support for investment in European technology comes from the Nordic countries. In Sweden, 94% of respondents believe the EU should prioritize the development of European digital infrastructure, followed by Finland with 93% and Denmark with 92%.

A majority of EU citizens also want to reduce dependence on foreign technologies. This stance is most pronounced in Sweden, where 88% of respondents support this idea, as well as in Germany, Denmark, Finland and Luxembourg, where the percentage reaches 87%.

According to Swedish scholar Johan Linaker, the sense of urgency for digital sovereignty has been strengthened by geopolitical developments. He cites Denmark as an example, where debates over Greenland have spurred public initiatives such as the “Danmark Skifter” campaign, which promoted the use of alternative platforms and reduced dependence on big tech companies.

However, willingness to switch to EU-based digital services varies from country to country. Danes are most willing to pay more for European services, with 76% support, followed by Swedes and Croatians with 73% each. On the other hand, Estonians, Bulgarians and Czechs are less enthusiastic about the change.

Higher security and greater reliability are considered the main factors that could convince citizens to choose European alternatives. While better protection of personal data remains another important reason, especially in Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland and Portugal.

Meanwhile, the European Union is taking concrete steps to strengthen technological independence. The European Commission recently presented a package on technological sovereignty, focusing on the development of the cloud, artificial intelligence, open source technologies and chip manufacturing. The package aims to reduce the risk that critical services, such as those in the health or defense sectors, depend on decisions by foreign governments or companies outside Europe.

Experts emphasize that the goal is not to completely replace foreign technologies, but to create the necessary capacities to manage risks and ensure the security and sustainability of European digital infrastructure./ CNA