In these turbulent times, the European Union must stand firm in protecting the rights and interests of its citizens and businesses. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a powerful tool to protect consumers, give them more choices and ensure fair competition for all businesses, especially the smaller ones that drive innovation.
On 23 April, the European Commission imposed its first fines under the DMA: €500 million for Apple and €200 million for Meta. Their offence? Clear violations of EU competition rules.
While these decisions were firmly anticipated, the absence of any official voice to explain or defend them harmed the credibility of EU enforcement, which requires visible leadership.
No Commissioner was present to address the public or explain the significance of these decisions — a sharp contrast to the leadership we saw from Margrethe Vestager and Thierry Breton who understood the importance of signalling political commitment at the highest levels.
This lack of political presence is a real risk to European credibility. The EU has long relied on strong voices to assert its position on the global stage; that kind of leadership must not fade away.
As the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the DMA, I know how long and hard we fought to build this legal framework. It was designed to restore competition and protect fundamental freedoms in the digital age. Letting it be weakened would be political negligence.
The new European Commission must continue the fight. We need leaders who are not afraid to confront Big Tech and enforce our digital rules.
The world is watching the EU's digital laws
In recent weeks, pressure from the United States has intensified. EU digital laws, including the DMA, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and our AI regulations, have been publicly labelled by some US lawmakers as threats to American interests. Several US Congressmen have directly confronted EU lawmakers, including commissioners and MEPs like myself, calling into question the legitimacy of our digital policies.
On top of that, there is the threat of tariffs and open resistance to the OECD global tax deal. This is no longer merely about market access; it has evolved into an open challenge to our legal and economic sovereignty.
The DMA is not a bargaining chip in a transatlantic deal. Our laws are democratically adopted and not up for sale. We designed the DMA first and foremost to protect our citizens and ensure that all businesses, regardless of their origin or size, can innovate and compete fairly in the European market.
This is not a weapon against the US: It’s a tool for open competition that benefits everyone. Any attempt to dilute it, delay it or politicise it would be a betrayal, not just of European values but of all the innovators and consumers we are supposed to defend. Amid these pressures, we must not lose sight of what the DMA is truly about.
Compliance, not fines, are the objective of DMA enforcement. Unfortunately, the discussion around penalties has been caught up in debates on tariffs and trade tensions. The fines may seem modest next to the massive global revenues of companies like Apple and Meta — but they are designed as a deterrent, not as the endpoint. The true measure of success is not the size of the fine, but the change in behaviour.
The enforcement of the DMA is a legal obligation. The Commission doesn’t lack tools, but it does lack the resources to match its ambitions. For instance, the EU executive currently has just 80 people dedicated to working on the DMA task force, compared to the 70 working groups, each with 15 members, within Google.
Europe must demonstrate that it can regulate effectively and, more importantly, enforce those regulations. The DMA was never meant to be a symbolic law. It was designed to reset the balance of power in the digital economy. This means showing, clearly and repeatedly, that Europe is serious.
Biting the bullet for a brighter future
We must stay on track, particularly in the coming months as new regulations like the Digital Fairness Act and the evolving AI Act take shape. These are not side projects — they are central to our digital future. The DMA is only the first step.
The European Commission must step up and send a clear message, that this is just the beginning. Europe must demonstrate that it can do more than just regulate, but that it will enforce without hesitation, under pressure and in the public eye.
The US is also moving forward with major antitrust actions, including recent calls to break up Google to restore fair competition. Our American partners share the goal of a fair digital economy, but we must follow our own path to get there.
If we blink now, we risk our credibility, not only in terms of digital regulation, but also in areas like data protection and taxation. This is not just about tech regulation: It’s about what kind of digital future we choose to build.
It is time for Europe not just to write the rules, but to own them. We can no longer afford silence or delay. Europe has chosen to lead; it’s time to act like it.
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