A continent-wide survey published this week confirms what policymakers in Brussels, Berlin, and Paris have long suspected: European citizens are increasingly uneasy about their dependence on technology from the United States and China. The study, conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations and polling firm YouGov across twelve member states plus the United Kingdom, found that 71 percent of respondents believe the European Union should invest more in domestic digital capabilities.
The sentiment is strongest in France, where 78 percent of those polled said they want EU-controlled alternatives to foreign platforms, and weakest in Poland, where the figure still stands at 62 percent. In Germany, home to a robust debate about data protection and cloud sovereignty, support reached 74 percent. The findings come as the European Commission pushes forward with its Digital Decade policy agenda, which aims to ensure that 75 percent of EU businesses use cloud computing, big data, or artificial intelligence by 2030.
The Price of Autonomy
Yet the survey also reveals a significant gap between aspiration and willingness to pay. When asked if they would accept higher costs for European-made digital services, only 38 percent of respondents said yes. In Italy, that number dropped to 31 percent; in the Netherlands, it was 34 percent. The pattern suggests that while the idea of digital sovereignty enjoys broad rhetorical support, the practical trade-offs remain unpalatable for many.
“Europeans want the benefits of sovereignty without the costs,” said Dr. Helena Møller, a technology policy researcher at the University of Copenhagen who reviewed the study. “That is not necessarily irrational, but it does create a challenge for policymakers who must decide whether to subsidize alternatives or accept slower adoption.” The study also found that younger Europeans, those aged 18 to 34, were more willing to pay a premium than older cohorts, though the difference was modest.
The findings echo a broader trend across the continent. In a separate Pew Research Center survey released last month, support for the EU itself has risen in several member states a decade after the Brexit referendum, suggesting that citizens are looking to Brussels for leadership on issues from trade to technology. Digital sovereignty is increasingly seen as part of that mandate.
Geopolitical Context
The push for technological independence is not happening in a vacuum. Tensions with China over semiconductor supply chains, the war in Ukraine, and the ongoing scrutiny of US tech giants under the Digital Services Act have all sharpened the debate. The European Commission has already invested billions in projects like the European Processor Initiative and the Gaia-X cloud infrastructure project, though both have faced delays and criticism over complexity.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, which left the EU in 2020, is pursuing its own digital strategy. The survey found that 68 percent of British respondents supported greater domestic tech investment, a figure close to the EU average. However, London’s approach has been more market-driven, with less emphasis on state-led alternatives. The divergence highlights how Brexit has created separate paths even as shared concerns persist.
The study also noted that support for digital sovereignty correlates with trust in national governments. In countries like Sweden and Denmark, where public institutions enjoy high confidence, willingness to pay for EU-controlled alternatives was above average. In Hungary and Poland, where trust in government is lower, so was the appetite for state-backed tech projects. This suggests that digital sovereignty campaigns may need to be paired with broader governance reforms to succeed.
For now, the message from citizens is clear: they want Europe to reduce its reliance on foreign technology, but they are not ready to foot the bill alone. As the EU prepares to allocate funds from its next multiannual budget, the survey offers both a mandate and a warning. Policymakers in Brussels, Berlin, and Paris will have to decide whether to accelerate investment or risk public disillusionment.
