Macron urges Trump to lift 'unjust' US visa bans on French judge, ex-EU commissioner

2026-02-22 - 21:12

French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed directly to US President Donald Trump to lift what he termed "unjustly imposed sanctions" against several European citizens, including two French nationals, according to media reports Sunday. In a letter to Trump, Macron specifically highlighted cases of Nicolas Guillou, a judge at the International Criminal Court, and Thierry Breton, a former European commissioner, requesting reconsideration of US administration decisions. Targeted Individuals and Sanctions The sanctions also affect three additional French citizens working for non-governmental organizations monitoring online disinformation and hate speech. When announcing the measures in December, the US State Department characterized those targeted as "radical activists and weaponized NGOs" that have "advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states" targeting American speakers and companies. Breton, a key architect of the EU's Digital Services Act regulating technology platforms, has been barred from US entry since December 2025, with Washington viewing his efforts as infringing on freedom of expression. Judge Guillou faced sanctions in August 2025 alongside other ICC magistrates due to his involvement in proceedings connected to an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Beyond US entry prohibition, Guillou's Visa card was canceled by his French bank, and he cannot access various American digital platforms including Airbnb and Amazon. Macron's Defense "I ask you to reconsider these decisions by your administration and to lift the sanctions unjustly imposed on Nicolas Guillou and Thierry Breton," Macron wrote, emphasizing that "the sanctions adopted against Nicolas Guillou undermine the principle of judicial independence and the mandate of the ICC." The French president's intervention highlights growing transatlantic tensions over jurisdiction, digital governance, and the extraterritorial reach of US sanctions against European officials performing their professional duties.