Georges-Louis Bouchez recently expressed his deep concern about the current direction taken by the European Union, particularly in the context of recent tensions with European Commissioner Thierry Breton.
He points out that Europe is facing crucial challenges, such as reindustrialisation, strengthening its defence, and establishing genuine energy independence. Yet instead of focusing on these priorities, the European Commission, driven by figures such as Thierry Breton, appears to be moving towards greater regulation of freedom of expression, an approach the liberal President describes as worrying.
This context is particularly linked to recent actions by Thierry Breton, who threatened the platform X (formerly Twitter) with sanctions under the Digital Services Act (DSA) over the potential spread of content deemed “harmful” in Europe. This intervention was seen as an attempt not only to censor speech considered inappropriate, but also to impose a European standard that could undermine the principles of freedom of expression so dear to Americans.
Georges-Louis criticised this approach, calling it disconnected from Europe's real needs. He argued for a Europe that is more welcoming to entrepreneurs, investors and creators, instead of piling up taxes and restrictive regulations. He noted that innovative ventures like Twitter could have emerged in Europe had the continent done more to encourage entrepreneurship rather than stifling creativity with excessive regulation.
In conclusion, Europe must return to the essentials: focusing on strengthening its industry, military and energy sectors, and ceasing to impose regulations that threaten fundamental freedoms. Only by adopting a more pragmatic approach and supporting innovation can Europe truly rise on the world stage.