The reaction of the president of the European Commission follows the announcement made by the United States to ban five European citizens from entering the country
The president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, considered this Wednesday that freedom of expression is the basis of European democracy, after the United States applied sanctions against five European personalities.
“Freedom of expression is the pillar of our strong and vibrant European democracy. We are proud of it. We will protect it. Because the European Commission is the guardian of our values”, wrote Ursula Von der Leyen on the social network X.
The reaction of the president of the European Commission follows the announcement made today by the United States of America to ban five European citizens from entering the country, accusing them of censorship on social media.
Among the figures targeted by sanctions is former French European Commissioner Thierry Breton, all of whom are banned from entering the USA, reported the agency France-Presse (AFP).
The US State Department justified the sanctions by stressing that its actions amount to censorship to the detriment of US interests.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms into punishing American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump administration will no longer tolerate these blatant acts of extraterritorial censorship,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a note on the social network X.
The head of US diplomacy also assured that the US is “ready and willing to expand this list if others do not change their position”.
Thierry Breton served as European Commissioner for the Internal Market from 2019 to 2024, with broad responsibilities, particularly in digital and industrial matters.
Among those sanctioned are representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that combat online disinformation and hate speech, including Imran Ahmed, Clare Melford, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, founder of the German NGO HateAid, and Josephine Ballon, also from the same organization.
US President Donald Trump is leading a major offensive against European Union (EU) technological standards that impose obligations on platforms, particularly with regard to reporting problematic content, which the United States considers censorship.
