The US’s new economic policy path represents more than a mere trade dispute—it serves as a stress test for Europe’s digital sovereignty. Tariffs and economic pressure starkly illustrate the deep entanglement between economic interests and technological dependencies. When essential IT services are sourced from providers influenced by increasingly erratic political environments, the issue transcends economics, emerging as a strategic vulnerability.
Digital sovereignty is therefore not an abstract ideal but a strategic imperative. Companies bear direct responsibility for business-critical processes and sensitive data. Only by maintaining control can they shield themselves from the constraints imposed by shifting political dynamics.
When choosing cloud and infrastructure partners, organizations must carefully assess where and under what legal conditions their data is processed—and whether contractual safeguards can ensure that no access by third countries occurs. Providers operating GDPR-compliant data centers domestically offer both technical security and regulatory certainty.
For years, relying on a few major IT providers offered convenience—but that convenience now comes at a cost. Effective risk management demands a more diversified provider landscape to avoid structural blackmail, whether political, regulatory, or financial. At the same time, balance is essential: overreliance on fragmented, small-scale solutions introduces operational complexity. A more sustainable approach is to engage medium-sized European service providers that offer both specialization and adaptability. In IT, as elsewhere, “buy local” is a sound strategy.
Capable European alternatives do exist, yet they are often overlooked in infrastructure decisions. A decisive political shift is needed—away from short-term convenience and towards long-term, sustainable independence. For the first time, there are indications of movement at the EU level, with discussions emerging about procuring cloud and security services specifically and exclusively from European providers in the future.
Anyone committed to digital resilience must re-examine choices around IT architecture, data processing, and communications. This is not a call for isolation, but for informed autonomy and genuine control over one’s digital infrastructure. Such control is essential for building a resilient and self-determined European economy.
Martin Hager is founder and CEO of Retarus.
