What a right-wing shift in the EU Parliament means for tech policy

A more right-wing European Parliament could mean fewer regulatory initiatives in the area of tech, a weakened push for market integration, but more support for defence tech, according to party manifestos and expert interviews.

The Parliament is projected to shift towards the right after the elections on 6-9 June, with 25 more seats going to the right-wing parties.

One of the most significant changes expected is the reduction in regulatory initiatives, compared to the raft of new tech rules in the previous five years.

The far-right so far has not been “fond of” regulating tech, French member of the European Parliament (MEP) Stephanie Yon-Courtin (Renew) told Euractiv last week.

“There would be a preference to stay away from creating new initiatives to complement the already existing ones,” said Florian Cortez, a Joint Research Fellow at the Egmont Institute and the European Policy Centre.

This aligns with member states‘ requests for implementing existing digital policies over creating new regulations.

But right-wing parties are expected to also be less willing to allocate the resources needed to enforce current regulations, such as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, Digital Markets Act (DMA), and Digital Services Act (DSA), said Cortez.

According to him, they may push back particularly on the enforcement of the DSA, Europe’s landmark content moderation law.

These parties rely on social media to spread their “polemic messaging” and are often themselves subject to content moderation, therefore may not rush to implement the DSA, believes the researcher.

Since they get “the most outreach through [social media],” they are often reluctant to regulate them, Anupriya Datta, policy advisor for The Left in the European Parliament, agreed.

The Identity and Democracy (ID) Group opposes perceived restrictions on freedom of expression, and specifically criticised the DSA for allegedly leading to censorship of their campaign, explained Cortez.

ID holds the most radical stance against existing tech regulations, viewing them as overly restrictive and problematic for their messaging.

Extreme right parties often have varied and inconsistent positions, with some ignoring digital policies and others differing on technology issues, Cortez added.

Datta pointed out that the motives of the right and far-right can also depend on national sentiments.

Market integration

They are also expected to resist recent calls for further market integration and EU-level funding for innovation, said Cortez.

In his report in April, former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta proposed creating an EU-level regulatory body, unifying spectrum allocation policies for the telecoms market, and integrating the EU space market to enhance global competitiveness.

A more right-wing Parliament is likely to resist further market integration in telecoms, which Letta called for, warns Cortez.

It could also try and block such draft laws around climate, workers’ rights, and social welfare, added Datta.

With more right-wing or far-right governments elected in member states, the Council of the EU will be in a similar situation, she added.

These parties support policies favouring national champions but are reluctant to extend this support at the EU level, Cortez pointed out.

This approach suggests a potential shift away from EU funding and support for technology and industrial innovation, instead on national-level initiatives.

In the political right, there is a tendency in general “to have discretion towards member states and less harmonisation at a European level,” Datta said.

They usually oppose Big Tech legislation, often voting against or abstaining in negotiations, she added.

The right-wing agent of change

One party that is looking to push for change in tech policy is the European People’s Party (EPP). It finds the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) too restrictive for AI innovation, believes Cortez.

They “want to readjust data protection to the requirements of the digital world,” he said.

It also supports EU investment in semiconductor innovations and creating an AI centre of excellence at a European level.

Other areas they are looking to support; are defence technology, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and expanding digital networks.

Defence and security are areas that right-wing parties are likely to support, but might focus on national rather than EU-level initiatives.

This was backed by Datta who said that “certain Eastern European parties might prefer focusing on stronger national defence policies,” giving the example of Hungary’s Fidesz party.

They “would be open to experimenting with technology used for immigration control and border control,” said Cortez.

However the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR Group) “are usually siding with the position of the EPP on multiple issues,” added Datta.

Therefore the way forward for EU policy might also change depending on the outcome of the US election, said Yon-Courtin.

[Edited by Eliza Gkritsi/Rajnish Singh]

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