French President Emmanuel Macron condemned U.S. visa restrictions that bar five former British and European officials, calling the move “intimidation and coercion” aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty. The individuals were accused by U.S. officials of engaging in “extraterritorial censorship of Americans.” The European Union and leaders including António Costa criticized the measures and vowed to defend regulatory autonomy, framing the dispute as a new source of tension in transatlantic relations.
Macron Slams U.S. Visa Sanctions as “Intimidation and Coercion” — EU Vows to Defend Digital Sovereignty
French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticized visa restrictions announced by the U.S. administration this week, calling the measures an attempt to weaken Europe’s control over its digital rules and regulatory autonomy.
On Tuesday the United States said it would bar several former British and European officials from entering the country. The move targeted five people the administration accused of engaging in what it described as “extraterritorial censorship of Americans.” Senator Marco Rubio characterized the listed individuals as “leading figures of the global censorship-industrial complex.”
Among those named was Thierry Breton, a former European Commission official who last year clashed publicly with Elon Musk after the billionaire threatened sanctions against his platform X. The action has prompted strong responses across Europe.
“France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures,” Macron wrote on X. “These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.”
Macron added that the rules governing the European Union’s digital space should be set in Europe, underscoring Paris’s insistence on regulatory autonomy rather than having such standards imposed from abroad.
The European Union issued a critical statement of its own, stressing that “freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world.” The EU warned it stood ready to “respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures.”
European Council President António Costa used even stronger language, calling the visa restrictions “unacceptable between allies, partners, and friends.”
Observers see the sanctions as the latest flare-up in rising tensions between the Trump administration and European governments. President Donald Trump’s recent rhetoric toward Europe has at times been confrontational — at the U.N. General Assembly in September he warned delegations that “your countries are going to hell,” and in a recent interview he repeated harsh criticisms of European leaders and institutions.
As diplomatic friction grows, EU leaders have signaled they will defend their digital rulemaking and regulatory independence. How Washington and Brussels respond in the coming days could shape transatlantic relations on technology policy and broader cooperation between allies.
