Unveiling “Cultural Market Power Europe”: The Geopolitical Implications of EU Digital Policy-Making

In the rapidly evolving landscape of global digital governance, this paper investigates how the European Union’s digital policy-making (Newman, 2020) contributes to the emergence of “Cultural Market Power Europe.” Situated within the framework of Chad Damro’s “Market Power Europe” (Damro, 2012), this research explores the geopolitical dimensions of the EU’s digital regulation, particularly in the face of dominant players such as the USA and China. The central question is: To what extent does the EU’s digital policy-making foster the development of a distinctive geopolitical influence amid the global competition between the USA and China? The main argument contends that as cultural industries actively lobby the EU to shape the Digital Single Market (DSM), a narrative takes shape, portraying the EU as a defender of arts and culture against the perceived threat posed by global digital giants, especially from the USA and China. This external perception not only shapes the narrative but also translates into concrete regulatory measures, marking the emergence of a unique form of geopolitical influence – the “Culture Market Power” of the EU. In essence, the EU is not only responding to internal cultural industry pressures but also strategically positioning itself in response to the perceived threats posed by US and Chinese Big Tech companies. The study delves into two critical cases to operationalise this investigation: the lobbying dynamics surrounding the Digital Services Act (DSA) adopted in 2022 and the to-be-adopted Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. Combining discourse and network analysis, the research integrates data from relevant documents with insights from semi-directive interviews with cultural industry lobbyists and EU civil servants. This paper contributes to the literature on EU integration by shedding light on the effects of cultural industries’ influence on digital policy-making in shaping the EU’s geopolitical power and building a new European identity narrative. As the analysis unfolds within the context of the DSA and AI Act, it aims to elucidate the nuanced dynamics shaping the EU’s evolving role as a geopolitical force. Importantly, this influence is situated within the broader framework of a global power struggle, where the USA and China loom large as dominant players in the digital arena. In navigating this complex geopolitical landscape, the EU’s “Culture Market Power” emerges as a distinctive force, asserting its identity amidst the challenges posed by the influence of other major powers. This paper seeks to deepen our understanding of how the EU strategically positions itself in the digital age, simultaneously championing cultural interests and vying for influence on the global stage, driven in part by the external perception of US and Chinese Big Techs as threats. References: Damro, C. (2012). Market power Europe. Journal of European Public Policy, 19(5), 682–699. Newman, A. L. (2020). 12. Digital Policy-Making in the European Union. Building the New Economy of an Information Society. In Wallace, Helen, M. A. Pollack, & C. Roederer- Rynning, Policy-Making in the European Union (8th edn) (8th ed., pp. 275–296). Oxford University Press.