Europe throws out Google and Microsoft – digital sovereignty instead of Big Tech dependence

Dr. Peter F. Mayer, tkp.at

France has decided to remove Google and Microsoft from 2.5 million government computers. Germany (more precisely, the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein) is switching 30,000 PCs away from Windows. Denmark has at least attempted to replace Microsoft Office.

France’s Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM) ordered in April 2026 that all ministries must submit migration plans by autumn 2026. The goal: Windows is to be replaced by Linux. Around 2.5 million public administration workstations are affected. At the same time, Microsoft Teams and Zoom are to be replaced by the French platform Visio. The minister responsible, David Amiel, put it plainly: the state can no longer accept its dependence on American tools and must regain control over its digital future.

In Germany, the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein has decided to switch from Windows and Microsoft Office to Linux and LibreOffice for around 30,000 employees of the state administration. According to the state, the changeover of the mail systems and office suites alone has already saved more than 15 million euros in licence costs. Digital sovereignty, data security and cost savings are the main priorities.

Denmark was somewhat more cautious: a pilot project with Collabora (LibreOffice-based) to replace Microsoft Office was stopped or paused after technical difficulties and the formation of a new government. A comprehensive withdrawal is currently not in sight there.

The recommended alternatives

The tech media list a number of replacement products that are also relevant for private users:

• Email: Proton Mail (Switzerland, end-to-end encrypted)
• Search: DuckDuckGo
• Cloud storage: Proton Drive
• Browser: Brave or Firefox
• Messenger: Signal
• Office: LibreOffice
• Smartphone: GrapheneOS, LineageOS or Huawei’s HarmonyOS
• PC operating system: Ubuntu or other Linux distributions
• Maps: Organic Maps, OsmAnd (OpenStreetMap) or Mapy

I myself use these or similar products. The reasoning is always the same: US companies are subject to the CLOUD Act, which gives American authorities access to data – even if it is stored in Europe. At the same time, political mistrust of American technology is growing.

Behind the scenes

These steps are part of a broader European debate on digital sovereignty. France’s Gendarmerie has been using its own Linux distribution, GendBuntu, for years. Other countries and institutions are experimenting with open-source and European alternatives. At the same time, dependence on US cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) remains high in many areas. Whether the large-scale migrations will really succeed completely and smoothly remains to be seen. The direction, however, is clear: European authorities and end customers no longer want to be mere users, but masters of their own digital infrastructure. Citizens can follow the example – and need not leave it to the authorities. I have personally had the best experiences with it.

This article first appeared in German on tkp.at – with kind permission of Dr. Peter F. Mayer.
Cover image: 11287688 / Pixabay