In Toronto, on 8 and 9 May 2026, Sandro Gozi, Secretary General of the European Democratic Party and Member of the European Parliament for Renew Europe, took part in the Global Progress Action Summit, organised by the Center for American Progress Action and Canada 2020. The summit brought together political leaders, researchers and technology experts to discuss the future of democracies in the age of artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty and online protection for citizens.
For the EDP, the challenge is clear: innovation must strengthen democracy, not weaken it. In an international context marked by technological competition and pressure from major platforms, Gozi stressed the need for a Europe able to lead the digital revolution with fair rules, guaranteed freedoms and effective rights. “Protecting minors online is no longer just an educational issue: it is a democratic challenge and a matter of European sovereignty. We cannot allow global platforms and Big Tech to decide alone the rules of the digital space in which millions of young Europeans are growing up”.
The message from Toronto, with concluding remarks by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Barack Obama’s call for values-driven leadership, confirms the EDP’s centrist and liberal vision: building a digital space that is safe, open and democratically regulated. The European Democratic Party will continue to work, within Renew Europe and the European institutions, for a model of innovation that protects minors, defends European sovereignty and puts technology at the service of citizens.
