Misha Glenny, the journalist known for writing the book that inspired the BBC crime series McMafia, has claimed that Europe is at risk of becoming a technological “supplicant” to the US and China.
Glenny was speaking at the 2025 Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, which is partnered with The Independent for the second year running. He was appearing on a panel alongside Mike Berners-Lee and Sarah Lamptey as part of the festival’s daily News Review event, chaired by journalists from The Independent.
During Saturday morning’s (24 May) event, the panel discussed international relationships and the position of the EU amid the escalating global trade war, fuelled by US president Donald Trump.
Glenny said that the technological race to make advances in fields such as AI has meant that both the US and China are reluctant to install “regulatory systems”.
“I’m worried about both of their hands-off approaches to regulation,” he said. “The problem is, that the EU – which does seek to regulate social media, AI, and so on – is being left behind in terms of the research and development in technology, and risks being left in the position of the global supplicant.
“I say this, by the way, as someone with Irish citizenship as well as British, so I can speak to the European position. But it’s going to put the EU in the position of global supplicant when it comes to technology, which is a dangerous state of affairs.”
Fielding questions from the audience, Glenny and the rest of the panel went on to discuss the tentative relationships between the UK, Europe and the US during Trump’s second term as president.
“The big debate within the European Union at the moment,” he said, “is to what extent does Trump represent an existential threat to European security interests and economic interests? Because Trump is actually targeting the EU more than other regions [such as China].”
Held over 11 days in the town of Hay-on-Wye, the Hay festival sees figures from across the world of culture and media deliver talks, panel discussions and other events.
The 38th spring edition of the Hay Festival features a lineup that includes Trump’s estranged niece, Mary Trump, Welsh actor and activist Michael Sheen, actor and campaigner Jameela Jamil, and more.
Throughout the festival, The Independent is hosting a series of morning panels titled The News Review, in which our journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy.
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