The European Parliament on 15 June 2026 debated economic independence, with Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné linking it to AI access, Chinese pressure, energy prices, and raw materials. Speakers diverged on priorities: Markus Ferber (EPP) and Jonás Fernández (S&D) pushed for single-market deepening, while Aurore Lalucq (S&D) and Christophe Grudler (Renew) advocated European preference in procurement and investment. Pierre Pimpie (PfE) and Jorge Buxadé Villalba (PfE) blamed the Green Deal and sanctions for deindustrialisation, countered by Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew) and Séjourné, who defended decarbonisation as reducing fossil-fuel dependence.
Damian Boeselager (Greens/EFA) and Anouk Van Brug (Renew) highlighted digital and payment vulnerabilities, while René Aust (ESN) argued regulation worsened tech dependence. National vs. EU-level approaches split speakers: Gerbrandy and Sandro Gozi (Renew) stressed unity, while Pimpie and Michał Szczerba (EPP) cited bilateral defence deals. Consensus emerged on reducing external dependencies and deepening the single market, but no formal decision was taken. The debate tested a new speaking format, with procedural flaws noted by Esteban González Pons (EPP). Affected stakeholders include EU industry, energy firms, digital payment providers, and defence contractors.