ASML CEO Fouquet Warns Against EU Steering of Strategic Projects

ASML Holding NV (ASML) Chief Executive Christopher Fouquet cautioned on June 5, 2026, against European Union plans to direct or monitor strategic projects that receive state aid, saying such initiatives must be industry-led to avoid bureaucracy. In a LinkedIn post, Fouquet welcomed most of the EU Commission's proposals to boost tech sovereignty but stressed that strategic projects "fundamentally need to respond to the needs of industry" and should be proposed by companies. "We need to avoid the risk of over-complication and bureaucracy, while relying on private sector expertise," he wrote. Fouquet's comments are among the first from a major European industrial leader on the bloc's plan to close its technology gap with the U.S. and Asia. The package includes measures to stimulate demand for European-made chips and local cloud services. The CEO said the Commission's new focus on demand-driven policy was a positive step.