Europe's Tech Sovereignty at Stake: MEP Warns US Could 'Turn Off' EU's Microsoft-reliant IT Systems

## Europe Confronts Its Digital Dependencies Brussels recently hosted the 2026 Open Source Policy Summit, an event that highlighted a critical shift in Europe's technological outlook. The discourse, notably more assertive than previous years, revolved around the continent's profound dependence on US technology and the potential national security implications. Finnish MEP Aura Salla starkly articulated this concern, stating, "The EU runs on Microsoft," and ominously adding, "The US could turn us off inside one hour." Salla, who has consistently raised this issue, emphasized the growing urgency of this vulnerability, especially with the political landscape in the United States. Her remarks resonate with a broader European initiative to re-evaluate and reduce reliance on non-European tech giants. ## Schleswig-Holstein Leads the Way in Open Source Transition The German state of Schleswig-Holstein stands out as a pioneer in this movement. As reported in October last year, the state successfully transitioned from Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook to Open-Xchange and Mozilla Thunderbird. Dirk Schrödter, head of Schleswig's Chancellery and Minister for Digital Transformation, delivered a keynote where he declared, "We are free; now everyone must follow." Schrödter acknowledged that while the switch brought cost savings, the initial investment was significant. However, he framed this expenditure as a positive for European businesses that facilitated the transition. He succinctly summarized the current predicament, stating, "We're in the habit of exporting public money out of Europe, and importing dependencies." During a panel discussion on "Open Source and Economic Security," Schrödter recognized the complexities of digitisation in Germany due to its decentralised IT management. He advocated for a pragmatic, step-by-step approach, advising, "Don't look at the big mountain in the distance. Look at concrete steps you can take to start." Schleswig-Holstein's phased approach includes retaining Windows for now, but migrating "nearly 100 percent" of machines to LibreOffice from Microsoft Office. Thunderbird is now used for email, calendars, and contacts, integrated with Open-Xchange, alongside Element (Matrix-based) for chat and Nextcloud for collaboration. ## Economic Benefits and the Call for European Solutions Other panelists at the summit underscored that while Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) may not always be free of charge, investing in it within Europe offers substantial economic benefits. This approach ensures that a greater portion of the EU's considerable public spending remains within the European economy. Leontina Sandu pointed out, "We spend 0.4 percent of EU money on software licenses. It's a lot – public sector spending is half of the EU's GDP." Blogger Markus Sandelin estimates that the EU's annual expenditure on Microsoft 365 licenses alone exceeds €200 million. This shift naturally presents a significant opportunity for European open-source companies. Daniel Glazman of Thales articulated this potential bluntly: "Open source will succeed when we forget the word 'cost.'" IBM's Jochen Friedrich offered a compelling vision for Europe's economic transformation, stating, "We need code and speed, in place of coal and steel." Mike Milinkovich of the Eclipse Foundation echoed Salla's concerns about Microsoft's control, extending the discussion beyond Office 365 to GitHub, which Microsoft also owns. He noted that "more or less every company and organization in Europe pulls from GitHub, because it uses JavaScript and Maven, so this applies to them too," highlighting another critical point of potential external control. ## Public Money, Public Code: A Global Mandate Portuguese professor Mario Campolargo presented a compelling argument for transparency and public ownership of code funded by public money. He asserted, "If the money is public, the code should be public." This principle advocates for all software developed with public funds to be made open source, fostering collaboration and reducing proprietary lock-in. The growing international consensus around open source was further highlighted by a discussion on the upcoming UN Open Source Week 2026 and the UN Open Source Principles. These principles, recently adopted by the city of Barcelona, represent a significant global endorsement. They are designed to reassure policymakers and promote a structured approach to open-source adoption: ### The UN Open Source Principles 1. **Open by default:** Establishing open source as the default for new projects. 2. **Contribute back:** Actively participating in and contributing to the open-source community. 3. **Secure by design:** Prioritizing security from the outset of all software development. 4. **Foster inclusive participation and community building:** Encouraging diverse and inclusive contributions. 5. **Design for reusability:** Creating interoperable projects across various platforms and ecosystems. 6. **Provide documentation:** Ensuring comprehensive documentation for all stakeholders. 7. **RISE (recognize, incentivize, support, and empower):** Empowering individuals and communities in their contributions. 8. **Sustain and scale:** Developing solutions that meet the evolving needs of the UN system and beyond. These developments at the Open Source Policy Summit underscore Europe's determined push towards digital autonomy and resilience, leveraging open-source alternatives to build a more secure and economically robust technological future.