Europe’s quest for ‘digital sovereignty’: Exploring EU in the global tech race

Since the creation of the von der Leyen Commission in 2019, ‘digital sovereignty’ has become a buzzword feeding into the European tech agenda, shaping EU digital policy decisions, and legitimizing new legislative proposals of tech policy issues ranging from competition to content moderation, cybersecurity, privacy, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nevertheless, ‘digital sovereignty’ remains a multifaceted and contested concept. In this course, the students will learn about the different meanings of the concept: theoretically, by exploring a wide range of literature within the intersection between International Relations (IR), EU studies, and tech policy; and empirically, through case studies and insights from practitioners.

Throughout the course the students will gain knowledge of how ‘digital sovereignty’ challenges the traditional territorial understanding of sovereignty and state-centric ideas of international order leading to a discussion of what happens when the ‘digital’ meets the IR concept ‘sovereignty’. We will examine the state-like power of big tech corporations and the geopolitical implications of their ability to provide security, welfare, and perhaps, sovereignty. Next, the students will analyze formal and informal negotiations of digital policy and tech legislation during the EU policymaking process looking into the role of the EU institutions, tech corporations and civil society organizations in the global tech debate. The students will assess the content of tech legislation uncovering EU’s claims to ‘digital sovereignty’ and explore EU’s position in the global tech race with the United States (US) and China. Examples of cases of tech legislation could include the AI Act, Data Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Digital Markets Act (DMA)/Digital Services Act (DSA) or the Chips Act.

The course consists of three pillars. First, exploring the traditional understanding of sovereignty and assess how the digital age reframes the role of state, borders, and territory. Second, uncovering the concept of ‘digital sovereignty’ in EU policymaking by delving into formal and informal negotiations of specific legislative proposals. This part will be supported by practical insight from both the public and private sector working with the European tech agenda. Third, contextualizing Europe’s self-understanding of ‘digital sovereignty’ with the US and China.

An essential element of this course is gaining insights from practitioners working with the European tech agenda representing either public or private entities both inside and outside of the EU institutions. Furthermore, the teaching will be research-based and include lectures from academics at the Department of Political Science