Europe Scrambles for Financial and Digital Independence as US Pressure Mounts

Europe Scrambles for Financial and Digital Independence as US Pressure Mounts European leaders are urgently pushing to reduce the continent's critical dependence on American financial and digital systems, driven by fears that a returning Trump administration could weaponize this reliance. The push marks a strategic shift towards what officials call "strategic autonomy," aiming to shield the EU from potential political coercion [58480][58069][58171]. The alarm was crystallized by a stark warning from French MEP Aurore Lalucq, who chairs the European Parliament's economic committee. In a widely circulated message, she stated that former U.S. President Donald Trump could disconnect Europe from global payment networks like Visa and Mastercard, just as the U.S. did to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine [58480]. This vulnerability has triggered urgent calls to create a European alternative to these U.S.-dominated card systems, described by proponents as an "Airbus of European payments" [58480]. This financial concern is part of a broader pattern of dependence that experts say leaves Europe exposed. A new report from the Centre for European Reform argues that U.S. tech giants and the White House are collaborating in a "pincer attack" to pressure European regulators, using Europe's need for American military protection as leverage [44570]. The continent's deep reliance on American cloud computing, professional software, social media, and artificial intelligence platforms makes any retaliatory measures difficult to enforce [58167]. In response, lawmakers and investors are pursuing a two-track strategy. Financially, some European investors have begun quietly selling off holdings of U.S. government bonds, discussing a gradual "divorce" to limit economic exposure to potential U.S. policy shocks [58095]. Technologically, there is a major push to build competitive, homegrown digital alternatives to achieve "digital sovereignty" [58171]. However, experts question the feasibility of rapidly creating rivals to established U.S. giants, noting it would require massive investment and years of development [58171]. Some analysts suggest Europe should instead focus on becoming the world's foremost integrator and user of advanced technology, leveraging its strong industrial base and strict regulatory standards to set global norms [53007]. The geopolitical catalyst extends beyond payments and tech. European officials point to the "Greenland episode," where the U.S. opposed potential Chinese investment, as an example of Washington using territorial influence to pressure allies [58663]. One economist has even urged the EU to form a military pact with Denmark over Greenland to counter potential U.S. aggression and secure Arctic interests [43958]. Publicly, transatlantic relations remain functional, but behind closed doors, the work to build European resilience has accelerated. The core realization, as one analysis put it, is that Europe must finally turn its economic strength into real global power and be willing to impose costs on the United States to protect its independence [58663][58069]. Trump Could Cut Off Europe's Cards, Warns EU Lawmaker Europe Must "Make US Feel Cost" of Pressure, Argues Analyst Europe's Digital Dilemma: Reliant on US Tech It Seeks to Curb Europe's Digital Dilemma: Can It Break Free from US Tech Giants? US Tech Giants and White House Ally to Pressure EU, Report Warns Europe Considers Financial "Divorce" from Trump-Led US Europe's Trump Test: Time to Use Its Own Power US-EU Trade: Tied Together, Stuck Together Europe's Tech Edge: It's Not About Giants, But How You Use Them **US "Donroe Doctrine" Sparks Global Alarm: "Resources Belong to Us"** Trump's America Bullies Europe for a Ukraine Deal It Wants EU Must Militarize Greenland to Counter US, Warns Expert