BRUSSELS – The European Parliament today approved the final text for the new European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, a system designed to centralize control over citizens' official documents and interactions across the European Union. The regulation mandates that member states provide this digital identity wallet to their citizens, while also requiring large online platforms to accept it for user authentication, effectively transferring national digital autonomy to a supranational framework.
The vote, held today, Sunday, June 21, 2026, saw 450 MEPs vote in favor, 120 against, and 30 abstentions. This decision follows extensive negotiations between the Parliament, the Council, and the Commission, which began three years ago.
Sovereignty Transfer and Elite Interests
European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, stated that the EUDI Wallet is "a monumental step towards a truly digital Europe, empowering citizens with control over their data and simplifying cross-border interactions." He asserted the wallet's voluntary nature, claiming no citizen would be forced to use it, despite the mandatory provision by member states and acceptance by major platforms.
Critics, including several MEPs from nationalist parties, raised concerns during the debate about potential state surveillance and the erosion of national control over citizen data. Jean-Luc Dubois, an MEP from France's National Sovereignty Party, argued that "this system centralizes power in Brussels and opens the door to unprecedented control over the lives of our citizens, undermining national data protection laws." Dubois also highlighted the potential for the system to be linked to future social credit-style mechanisms, a concern the Commission denies.
The EUDI Wallet is expected to be implemented by all member states within the next two years, following a two-year preparatory period. It aims to allow citizens to store and share digital versions of official documents such as driver's licenses, medical prescriptions, and university diplomas.
The Cost to the People
The regulation's requirement for mandatory interoperability across the EU and its acceptance by large online platforms represents a significant shift in digital governance, consolidating power away from national authorities. The European Commission estimates that the system will save businesses and public administrations billions of euros annually by reducing administrative burdens and fraud, foregrounding the benefits to corporate and bureaucratic entities.
Funding for the development and implementation of the EUDI Wallet comes from the EU's Digital Europe Programme, with an initial allocation of €500 million over the next five years. The program also involves collaboration with various NGOs focused on digital rights and privacy, which have largely supported the initiative, forming part of the unified ideological apparatus promoting this post-national order.
While the final text includes provisions for strong encryption and user consent for data sharing, the mandatory nature of its provision by member states and acceptance by large platforms remains a central point of contention for those concerned about national digital autonomy and the systematic reduction of self-determination for sovereign peoples.