Brussels : European Union (EU) Commissioner for Technology, Henna Virkkunen, is facing mounting pressure to take a firm stance in response to US President Donald Trump's recent threats to impose tariffs on countries whose technology regulations impact American companies, Euro News reported.
A spokesperson for the European Commission defended Virkkunen, stating that she "will fight back against all unfounded claims, she has done so, she will continue to do it", Euro News added. Virkkunen, who assumed office in December, has come under criticism this week for not publicly addressing President Trump's remarks made earlier this week.
Several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) expressed dissatisfaction over the silence, with Spanish MEP Laura Ballarin (S&D) stating that Virkkunen "has been too silent for too long on this matter," according to Euro News. She said the EU must "step up and [...] speak out loud the language of power, the one President Trump understands," adding that "remaining silent is not an option".
Ballarin further stressed that "EU digital laws and the protection of digital consumers cannot be bargaining chips to serve the political agenda of Donald Trump and Big Tech. Europe must assert itself and take a more prominent role in negotiations with the United States."
French member of the European Parliament, Leila Chaibi (GUE/NGL), described Virkkunen as "invisible" and called the situation "unbearable" while referencing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's alleged strategy to avoid new "Thierry Breton cases." Alex Agius Saliba (Malta/S&D) also said that speaking out in public to defend the bloc's digital rules is a crucial part of Virkkunen's role.
However, not all lawmakers agreed. Dora David (Hungary/EPP) stated that the Commission, including the tech commissioner, is "managing a volatile situation in a calm and measured way, while firmly rejecting any notion that EU member states would under duress give up their sovereign right to regulate."
In May, Virkkunen travelled to the United States to clarify the bloc's tech policy amidst growing criticism from the American administration. She has consistently stated that EU digital regulations, including the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), are fair and do not amount to censorship.
Further calls for action are coming from within the Commission. Teresa Ribera, EU Commissioner in charge of competition policy, told the Financial Times on Friday that the bloc must be "courageous" in response to threats from the US president. "We may be kind, polite, try to find ways to solve problems and discrepancies but we cannot accept whatever [they demand]," she said. "We cannot be subject to the will of a third country," Euro News reported.
Thierry Breton, Virkkunen's predecessor, wrote in an op-ed for The Guardian: "How long are we, citizens of the EU, going to tolerate these threats?" He warned that failing to push back could lead to humiliation and instability," while noting that he will reject an invitation from the US House of Judiciary Committee to attend a hearing on "Europe's threat to American speech and innovation."