(MENAFN) French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that Europe risks losing control over its digital future unless it reduces reliance on American and Chinese tech firms and develops its own industrial leaders.

Speaking at the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty in Berlin, Macron said Europe “does not want to be the client of the big entrepreneurs or the big solutions being provided, either from the US or from China.” He warned that dependence on foreign platforms would weaken both competitiveness and democratic resilience.

“If we let the Americans and the Chinese have all the champions, one thing is certain: we may have the best regulations in the world, but we won’t be regulating anything,” he said. “Our goal is to design our own solutions, preserve our sovereignty, and refuse to become a vassal," Macron added.

The president highlighted that the EU is now competing globally in AI, cloud computing, semiconductors, and quantum technology. Advocating a “Franco-German reflex” on digital policy, he called for coordinated European action, including simplified regulations, stronger capital markets, and prioritizing European companies in public procurement.

Macron also supported tighter safeguards for European data and cautioned against “extraterritorial enforcement of foreign laws” if sensitive information continues to be stored on non-European platforms.

Pointing to Europe’s talent pool, growing computing capacity, and a 450-million-strong single market, Macron stressed the importance of execution: “Adoption is the new race. If we want to be sovereign, we must innovate, protect the key building blocks and accelerate the rise of European leaders,” he said.

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