Turning inward with protectionist policies would only weaken the foundations we seek to strengthen. Import substitution, isolationism, and picking winners won’t ensure competitiveness or security.
In contrast, the US Inflation Reduction Act offers incentives and subsidies to EU companies if they invest locally, develop talent, and build within the US.
The focus should be on pragmatism: attracting global investments, creating jobs, and driving innovation-led growth.
Europe should embrace ‘sovereignty done right’ by integrating diversity, resilience, and autonomy into its policies. This involves risk-based safeguards, strategic partnerships, and investment in European capabilities while remaining open to global innovation.
Trusted European operators can manage encryption, access control, and critical operations within EU jurisdiction, enabling managed access to global technologies. Eligibility should be based on rigorous, transparent assessments, not blanket bans.
A Berlin summit working group should establish a common EU-wide framework defining levels of data, operational, and technological sovereignty. Providers claiming sovereign services can use this framework to demonstrate which levels they meet.
Europe’s sovereignty will emerge from opening the right doors on its terms, not from closing them. Independence should be dynamic, empowering innovation, securing prosperity, and protecting freedoms.
This approach will enable Europe to build resilience, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy in a vibrant global digital ecosystem.
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