France’s central payments network, CB, is spearheading a push to counter Visa and Mastercard’s dominance in Europe, citing risks of U.S. control over critical financial infrastructure. The move follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s emphasis on economic sovereignty, with CB reversing a decades-long decline in market share—from 90% five years ago to 75% today—by reviving its co-badging system. This model allows French bank cards to operate on both domestic and international networks, a strategy gaining traction as geopolitical tensions and U.S. tech competition heighten concerns over dependency on foreign payment systems.