After the Trump administration censored five prominent Europeans over purported free speech concerns, European leaders have reacted furiously, backing the censored figures and standing by European Union (EU) that Trump wants to be done away with.
After the Donald Trump administration of the United States announced visa bans on five prominent Europeans, leaders across the continent reacted furiously and backed the censored figures. They dubbed the move as one aimed at coercion and intimidation.
In the latest salvo in Trump’s campaign against the European Union (EU), the administration on Thursday banned five European figures from entering the United States by charging them with censoring free speech on the internet and unfairly targeting American technology giants with regulations.
The five persons that have been censored are Imran Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg of Germany’s HateAid; Clare Melford of the British Global Disinformation Index; and former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who supervised the making of social media rules.
Macron leads pushback against Trump’s attack on Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron described the Trump administration’s move as one of “intimidation and coercion” that attacks European sovereignty.
Macron was joined in standing by the censored individuals by British, German, and Spanish governments.
In a statement on X, Macron said that rules affecting Europe’s digital space will not be determined by forces outside of the continent.
“The European Union’s digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council. They apply within Europe to ensure fair competition among platforms, without targeting any third country, and to ensure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online. The rules governing the European Union’s digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe,” said Macron.
France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures.
These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 24, 2025
Macron specifically thanked Breton, who is a French citizen, and thanked him for his work.
Separately, EU said the bloc will “respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures” if required.
The British government said it was “fully committed” to upholding free speech and the German government said it stood in “support and solidarity” with two German campaigners attacked by the Trump administration.
On its part, the Spanish government said visa bans were a misrepresentation of our “constitutional system”.
Trump attacks EU’s Digital Services Act
Trump’s main problem is with the EU’s Digital Services Act that has established a comprehensive legal framework for digital accountability. But Trump and his allies like Elon Musk are against digital regulations.
Following Trump’s victory, American social media organisations like Meta and X have done away with monitoring of hate speech and fact-checking. These decisions have been described as submissive steps to appease Trump and his far-right base.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the individuals the administration punished had “organised efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetise, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose”.
“These radical activists and weaponised NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states – in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” Rubio further said.
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