August 29, 2025: EU Digs In Against Trump's Tech Demands, as France and Germany Reinforce Defense in a Power-Based World

Today's August 29, 2025 and this episode we're covering the EU's firm stance against Donald Trump's digital regulation demands, with figures like Teresa Ribera urging the EU to be "courageous" and avoid being "subordinated to others’ interests". Ribera, the competition commissioner, also indicated the EU's willingness to abandon the trade deal to protect its tech regulations. French President Emmanuel Macron and Industrial Strategy Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné also supported reviewing the trade deal and considering retaliatory measures against U.S. tech companies.The reinforcement of defense by France and Germany, indicated by the Franco-German Council of Ministers meeting in Toulon, chaired by Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, which included a dedicated session on defense and security issues and the adoption of strategic documents. General Thierry Burkhard, France's top general, warned that Europe must assert hard power or risk becoming a "hunted animal".