Defending EU Democracy and Sovereignty from the New Geopolitics of Technology

Abstract

This article argues that technology is a central dimension of international power, reshaping geopolitics through data, standards, platforms, and supply chains, while US–China rivalry drives securitization, selective decoupling, and technological spheres of influence, and private firms provide critical security infrastructures. As the US leverages the EU’s technological dependencies to pressure regulatory change and influence its domestic politics, the European Union faces an existential challenge. Regulatory leadership alone, the article concludes, is insufficient; capabilities to reduce dependencies, safeguard democracy, and strengthen technological sovereignty are also required.