The first edition of the digital sovereignty barometer: 86% of French people believe that France is too dependent on foreign giants: digital sovereignty emerges as a power issue.
Developing a custom application – source pixabay
During the Micicycle Meetings: “Geopolitics of the Digital World: Rearming in the New Balance of Power,” the School of Economic Warfare unveiled the results of its 1st edition of the digital sovereignty barometer: “The French facing the geopolitical challenges of the digital world,” conducted by the Verian Institute. Dependency on major technological powers, distrust of foreign platforms, demand for a national doctrine: the barometer shows that the French no longer perceive the digital world as a mere technical or economic subject, but as a major strategic issue.
“In a context marked by rising geopolitical tensions, the rise of artificial intelligence, the dominance of large platforms, and growing dependence on extra-European infrastructures and technologies, this barometer reveals a structured opinion, both worried and pragmatic, about global digital power relations,” explains Christian Harbulot, director of the School of Economic Warfare.
Digital shifts from the economic to the strategic field
The first finding of this Barometer: French perspectives have changed. The French no longer see the digital world as a simple lever for innovation or growth, but as a strategic issue of sovereignty and power:
– 36% prioritize the digital world as a strategic area for France’s and Europe’s power; – 64% believe that France weighs more in terms of regulation than technological innovation; – 54% consider that France is on the verge of being surpassed by the United States, China, or India, and as a regulator rather than an innovation leader.
France appears as an intermediate player: able to influence rules, but dependent on production and innovation. This evolution represents a profound shift: the digital world is now perceived as an area of economic, political, and strategic confrontation, rather than just a field of activity.
“We have let vital functions of our economies and democracies rely on infrastructures and technologies that we do not control enough. The digital world is no longer just a sector among others: it has become a space of confrontation, at the heart of sovereignty, security, and power,” says Sebastien Crozier, president of the Geopolitics of the Digital World Think Tank & CFE-CGC Orange.
Critical dependence at the core of concerns
The Barometer reveals a concern, widely shared by the French, about technological dependence:
– 86% believe that France is too dependent on foreign platforms and actors; – 78% believe that France does not have sufficient means to enforce its regulations on large platforms; – Only 38% consider that France is adequately protected by European regulation.
The digital world emerges as both a lever of power and a factor of vulnerability. Dependence on critical technologies is no longer just an economic issue. It now concerns essential infrastructures, strategic data, work tools, and ultimately, the country’s ability to act.
Regulation, Europe, power: an expectation of a strategic direction
Faced with this observation, the priorities of the French are clear:
– 26% call for an assumed doctrine of power; – 24% prioritize a strengthened European alliance.
At the same time, 35% demand a clear national strategy, comparable to the National Defense Doctrine, and 27% call for massive investments in strategic technologies.
Regulation, long central to the European approach, now appears inadequate. Without industrial and technological capabilities, the effects of regulation remain limited.
“Digital sovereignty can no longer be solely about standards. It now requires industrial, technological, infrastructural capabilities to support real strategic autonomy,” analyzes Christian Harbulot, director of the School of Economic Warfare.
A clear opinion, still believing in a rebound
Only 16% of respondents believe that France has lost too much ground to return to the race signifying that a majority believes that a path of reconquest is still possible. This lesson from the Barometer reflects less optimism than the expectation of a coherent, readable, and assumed strategy.
Digital sovereignty does not crumble: it relies on the ability to produce, invest, control infrastructures, and capture value. In other words, it is built through the economy.
About the study: Study conducted online from March 29 to 31, 2026 Sample of 1,003 French people representative of the population.
