MEP Sandro Gozi for BNR: Europe must become strong again

Europe must become powerful again. This was stated by MEP Sandro Gozi from Renew Europe, former Italian Secretary of State for European Affairs in the special studio of BNR's Horizon National Channel from the European Parliament building in Strasbourg this week. He was elected as a member of the European Parliament from France.

We want to avoid a trade war. In a trade conflict with the US, everyone loses, MEP Sandro Gozi commented.

Irina Nedeva (BNR) and Sandro Gozi in Radio Studio 1 of the EP in Strasbourg

With the new tariffs announced by Donald Trump on Monday on steel and aluminum, is the US starting a ‎new trade war, this time against its transatlantic partners, and what kind of response do you, at ‎Renew Europe, insist on? Reciprocal tariffs? Or, for example, “preemptive” tariffs on US pharmaceutical products?

We want to avoid a trade war. We think that a conflict in trade with the USA is a lose-lose situation. It is clear that we have to protect our interests and Europe can protect its interests in trade because it is a power in trade. So we must be ready for a prompt and effective answer to what Trump decides. We have the means to protect our workers, our enterprises, our consumers, and we have to exercise this power.

Why is the US doing this to its transatlantic partners? To distract the EU from supporting Ukraine ‎or do you see something else?‎

I think that Trump is absolutely not interested in multilateral organizations and multilateral commitments. He is only interested in the balance of power and he thinks that taking these tough measures against his partners is in the interest of the United States. I disagree with this approach but we must take stock of the reality and react.

Elon Musk was not at the opening of the Paris AI Summit. What does that mean to ‎you?‎

I don't know why Elon Musk was not at the opening of the AI summit but I know that we are very concerned about the huge concentration of power of Elon Musk. I admire him as an entrepreneur and that's why he has industrial and financial power because he is brilliant. But with his platform X he is violating the main European rules, for which he should be sanctioned as everybody else.

According to your friend French President Emmanuel Macron at the Paris AI Summit, “the EU is ‎slow to innovate,” needs to “wake up” and “simplify the rules” to respond to US and Chinese ‎dominance in new technologies – where will Renew Europe stand? On the side of sound platform ‎regulation through the Digital Services Act (DSA), or on the side of simplifying the rules, given that the US tech giants are imagining what you call the “Wild West”?‎

We have to do both. We have to apply the right rules to protect our market and our consumers. And we should not make any exceptions. Anyone violating rules must be sanctioned – be it Elon Musk or someone else. And we have to innovate. We have to promote investment in artificial intelligence and encourage public-private investment in this field.

Liberal values, human rights are becoming "forbidden words", according to Elon Musk's ‎Department of Governmental Efficiency they hinder efficiency. Efficiency is also your topic. Should Europe respond to this and how?‎

These liberal values are American and European values. America has always been a beacon of democracy for all of us. Going against liberal values Elon Musk is going against the big American history. And certainly in Europe we must answer that by defending liberal values and the rule of law.

Bulgarian politician Delyan Peevski, who was expelled from ALDE, is now against "liberal values" and ‎yesterday sent a letter to the US embassy in Sofia, asking the US to crack down on NGOs and media ‎outlets funded by George Soros. How do you view the likelihood that the new Trump ‎administration will start a "witch hunt" against liberals in some parts of the EU?‎

I hope the Trump administration does not have this in mind because it will be an extremely lose-lose situation. On the other hand, I am very pleased for having contributed to expel Delyan Peevski from the Renew Group and I think this statement that he made only shows that how right we were in kicking him out of our group.

Is the end of decarbonization coming? To Trump's famous "drill baby drill", Macron responded on ‎Monday with "plug baby plug", but what will actually be the fate of the ‎Paris Climate Agreement and to EU's ambition to globally counteract climate change?‎

Certainly Macron has proposed another approach to global development, a more innovative and sustainable approach. For us it is a matter of concern that the USA wants to withdraw again from the Paris Climate Agreement but we continue to work with all our partners towards all these goals.

What should the EU and especially the EP do so that journalists are not eavesdropped on as with ‎the Paragon spy software?‎

I am very concerned. I have sent a written request to the European Commission. It seems that this very powerful spy software Paragon has been used by some governments of the EU against oppornets, journalists or civil society activists. This is absolutely unacceptable and we urge the Commission to take all the necessary measures to verify what has happened.

And last question, has Ukraine been forgotten?

Not in the European Parliament. We must continue to fully support the democratic battle of resistance of our Ukrainian sisters and brothers.

You can hear Irina Nedeva's full interview with MEP Sandro Gozi (with Bulgarian translation) HERE.

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Photos: Irina Nedeva, Rositsa Petkova

English publication: Rositsa Petkova