“Certainly, this [U.S.] strategy continues to speak of Europe as an ally. That’s good,” Costa said. “But if we are allies, we must act as allies. And allies do not threaten to interfere in the democratic life or the domestic political choices of these allies. They respect them. They respect each other’s sovereignty.”
According to Costa, critical remarks by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and social media posts from President Donald Trump are no longer isolated outbursts but now constitute “the doctrine of the United States.”
“We must take note and act accordingly,” he said. “This means that we need more than just new energy. We need to focus on building a Europe that must understand that the relationships between allies and the post-World War II alliances have changed.”
At the heart of Costa’s message was Europe’s refusal to accept external political pressure. “The United States cannot replace European citizens in deciding which are the right parties and the wrong parties,” he said, a reference to the part of the U.S. strategy referring to the support of “patriotic European parties.”
Costa also noted that the new U.S. approach reflects a broader shift away from multilateralism, a weakening commitment to the rules-based international order and the abandonment of climate action as a strategic priority. “We have differences in our worldviews,” he warned.
Costa also mounted a direct defense of the EU’s regulatory autonomy, including last week’s high-profile fine imposed on social platform X under the Digital Services Act. He rejected criticism from Washington and from U.S. tech leaders, saying Europe’s actions are grounded in its democratic model.
“The United States cannot replace Europe in its vision of freedom of speech,” he said. “Our history has taught us that there is no freedom of speech without freedom of information. And freedom of information exists where there is respect for pluralism.”
He added: “There will be no freedom of speech if citizens’ freedom of information is sacrificed to defend the tech oligarchs of the United States.”
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