Brussels – There is still division between Germany and France on the stance of digital sovereignty. The split emerged from the conclusions of the European Council held yesterday, October 23, in Brussels. The text speaks of “reinforcing sovereignty” and advancing the “digital transformation of Europe,” but at the same time opens up to “international partnerships with reliable countries.” Basically, between the lines, one can infer a willingness not to close the door on US companies, thereby satisfying the German demand for European digitization open to the global market.
The different stances of capitals
The paragraph, which is more like the expression of a compromise than a proper political mandate, reflects a complex convergence. France has long pursued a more centralized idea of digital development, focusing on national independence and self-sufficiency in key technologies. By contrast, Germany is pushing for a more open approach, including collaboration with US companies.
The position of the two capitals has historical and economic roots. Paris can count on a cutting-edge technology industry (although not comparable to the American one), with competitive companies such as Atos, a rival of IBM and Microsoft, or the artificial intelligence start-up Mistral. Berlin relies on two historical brands, such as SAP and Siemens, but the German industrial base, to a large extent, depends on US software and infrastructure. Large Californian companies have brought massive capital to Germany, securing technological and, by extension, strategic influence. Only last year, Amazon announced investments of 8,8 billion euros in a cloud infrastructure in the Frankfurt region to meet the growing demand for digital services in Germany.
Next appointment
In general, all European leaders share the need for greater strategic autonomy in the digital field, although it remains uncertain how and when. A key date could be November 18, when French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet in Berlin for a high-level summit on digital sovereignty. As long as the divergence between the two major European powers persists, a decisive agreement is unlikely.
The Commission’s commitment
The European Commission, meanwhile, continues its legislative efforts with the Digital Services Act, aimed at regulating the power of US companies, and promotes investments to develop European artificial intelligence. However, several steps are still needed to see concrete results.
In this context, even the details matter: the text approved by the 27 leaders speaks, for example, of “a digital age of majority for accessing social media, respecting national competences.” The principle is shared, but there is disagreement over the exact age: some countries propose 15 years, others 16. The Commission is awaiting a decision but is already working on a European tool to verify the ages of those behind the screen.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
