Across Europe, a significant transformation is underway in the public sector's approach to digital tools. French civil servants are preparing to replace widely-used American video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams with a domestically developed alternative called Visio. This transition is scheduled for completion by 2027 and will affect some 2.5 million government employees.
Similarly, Austria's military forces have discontinued the use of Microsoft Office applications, instead adopting LibreOffice, an open source suite paralleling Microsoft 365's Word, Excel, and PowerPoint offerings. In the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, approximately 44,000 government employee mailboxes have migrated from Microsoft to an open source email platform. The region has also transitioned its file-sharing system from Microsoft's SharePoint to Nextcloud, another open source product, and is contemplating further moves towards Linux-based operating systems and open source telecommunications tools.
These changes, evident across various European states and municipalities including France, Germany, Denmark, and Austria, form part of a wider push for "digital sovereignty". Governments here are aggressively trying to limit reliance on technology services supplied by US-based Big Tech firms and instead prefer domestic development or free software. This strategic shift is largely propelled by concerns over data privacy and the potential vulnerabilities tied to dependence on foreign technology providers.
The French government's recent announcement detailed its intentions to eliminate the use of non-European videoconferencing solutions within its civil service ecosystem. The aim is "to ensure the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool," according to official statements. Civil service minister David Amiel emphasized the risk of exposing sensitive scientific exchanges, strategic innovations, and confidential data to foreign actors.
Major US tech firms remain engaged with European authorities. Microsoft, for example, expressed ongoing collaboration with the French government, highlighting its commitment to safeguarding customer data through robust security, privacy, and compliance with European regulations, including hosting data within Europe.
This surge in digital sovereignty advocacy has gained further momentum amid increasing geopolitical tensions between the US and Europe. Instances such as the Trump administration's sanctions on the International Criminal Court's prosecutor, which led to major technology companies severing services to sanctioned individuals, have heightened fears of a "kill switch" capability wielded by Big Tech. The notable episode, involving Microsoft disconnecting the prosecutor's email account, amplified concerns about overreliance on American technology systems.
Moreover, influential voices at international forums, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, have underscored the vulnerabilities inherent in Europe's dependence on single countries or corporations for critical infrastructure and services. European Commission official Henna Virkkunen highlighted the potential for such dependencies to be weaponized, reinforcing the urgency of diversifying technological supply chains.
European initiatives are also partly motivated by the evolving dynamics within the technology sector itself. There is a prevailing sense that despite substantial regulatory actions like antitrust penalties imposed on firms such as Google, their dominance remains pronounced. Additionally, the rise of new influential players like Elon Musk and concerns about reliance on his Starlink satellite service for Ukrainian communications add complexity to the landscape.
Data sovereignty remains a focal point, as revelations of US cyber surveillance have historically strained transatlantic digital relations. In response, several US cloud providers have initiated "sovereign cloud" offerings to address European demands, maintaining data sovereignty by locating centers on European soil, restricting access to EU residents, and adhering to EU legal frameworks.
Local governments, including those in Lyon, Copenhagen, and Aarhus, have also incorporated open source software implementations, aiming to reduce costs and avoid technology lock-in. The motivations have evolved from purely financial considerations to strategic imperatives of autonomy and freedom from proprietary systems, as articulated by stakeholders like The Document Foundation, the organization behind LibreOffice.
In sum, Europe's digital sovereignty movement reflects a coordinated effort to secure data privacy, reduce exposure to geopolitical risk, and foster technological independence through the adoption of homegrown and open source digital tools. This trend significantly impacts the technology, government services, and defense sectors, with broader implications for market dynamics within European and global IT ecosystems.