BRUSSELS, Belgium — The European Union has issued a strong warning to the United States following travel restrictions imposed on several European citizens, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton, in a move that Brussels described as “unacceptable” and a challenge to European sovereignty.
The measures come after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Breton and four other European figures would be barred from entering the United States. Rubio stated, “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.
The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship. Today, the State Department will take steps to bar leading figures of the global censorship-industrial complex from entering the United States. We stand ready and willing to expand this list if others do not reverse course.”
European Democrats condemned the move, calling it “more than a diplomatic incident” and “a political signal – and a worrying one.” In a statement, they said: “Europe’s digital rules, including the Digital Services Act, were approved by over 90% of the European Parliament in the last legislature and unanimously by all 27 Member States. They are democratic law. Defending them means defending European sovereignty.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Freedom of speech is the foundation of our strong and vibrant European democracy. We are proud of it. We will protect it. Because the European Commission is the guardian of our values.”
The EU emphasised that the sanctions against European citizens and officials constitute intimidation and coercion intended to undermine European digital sovereignty. The bloc’s regulations, including the Digital Services Act, were adopted through a democratic process by the European Parliament and the Council, ensuring a fair, safe, and level playing field for all companies operating within the European market. Brussels stressed that these rules apply solely within the EU and are not to be determined externally.
European Council President António Costa warned that the EU would respond “swiftly and decisively” to defend its regulatory autonomy if necessary. France also condemned the U.S. measures, with President Emmanuel Macron calling the travel restrictions “unacceptable” and cautioning that they risk eroding trust between allies.
Sahra Wagenknecht, a German opposition candidate, criticised the sanctions as being motivated by economic interests rather than geopolitical concerns, highlighting growing European unease over U.S. attempts to influence digital markets abroad.
EU officials highlighted the case of Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, founder of the German organisation HateAid, a “trusted flagger” under the Digital Services Act. The U.S. accused the organisation of seeking expanded access to social media data to counter alleged disinformation from right-wing extremists ahead of upcoming elections. Brussels rejected this characterization, calling the targeting of European civil society actors and officials unacceptable.
Secretary General of the European Democrats, Sandro Gozi, described the visa denial to Thierry Breton as “a very serious and unacceptable act. It attacks our sovereignty. It is a drift with the flavour of McCarthyism. Europe will not be intimidated.”
The EU reiterated its commitment to freedom of expression, fair digital rules, and regulatory sovereignty, signalling that countermeasures remain a possibility should tensions escalate further. As the European Democrats put it, “There is only one answer: one Europe. Strong, sovereign, autonomous – including in the digital world.”
The dispute has highlighted growing tensions over digital regulation, transatlantic governance, and the enforcement of European law, raising questions about the future of U.S.-EU relations in the digital sphere.
