European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the European Union must draw conclusions from the United States’ new national security strategy.
“We need to focus on building a Europe that understands the relationships between allies and the post–World War II alliances have changed,” Costa said during an event in Paris.
Costa criticized claims that freedom of expression is being censored in Europe, as well as the U.S. strategy’s reference to the rise of “European patriotic influence.”
“What we cannot accept is the threat of interference in Europe’s political life. The U.S. cannot replace European citizens in deciding which parties are right and which are wrong,” Costa said.
“The U.S. cannot replace Europe or its vision for freedom of expression,” he added, emphasizing that “our history has taught us that there is no freedom of expression without freedom of information.”
Costa also criticized the influence of certain American technology companies, stating that “there can be no freedom of expression if citizens’ freedom to access information is sacrificed to protect American tech oligarchs.”
Costa, who is responsible for brokering compromises among EU leaders and managing the bloc’s relations with international partners, urged Europeans to continue efforts toward rearmament.
“The U.S. remains an important ally. The U.S. is an important economic partner. But our Europe must be sovereign in this regard. This also has consequences for our security and our military posture.”
The new U.S. national security strategy, published last week, describes Europe as a continent burdened by excessive regulation, censorship, and a lack of self-confidence, and warns of a “civilizational decline” due to migration.
