A new question of sovereignty is circulating at this year’s Munich Security Conference, echoing a 19th-century dispute over Schleswig-Holstein. Then, the conflict was over land connecting Germany, and Denmark. Now, it’s about digital sovereignty – and whether European nations are too reliant on US technology companies.
The core concern is simple: if Donald Trump, as US president, were to take action against an EU country, leader, or even a private citizen, and then pressured US tech firms to restrict their access to essential services like email or web hosting, would Europe be left vulnerable? Several European entities are now actively seeking to reduce that risk.
Schleswig-Holstein, a German state slightly smaller than Leinster, is leading the charge. Last , the state government allowed its licenses for Microsoft 365 to lapse. Over 40,000 civil servants, politicians, and public employees now use free and open-source alternatives to Word, Outlook, and Teams. Officials estimate this transition cost €9 million, a significant saving compared to the annual €15 million previously spent on Microsoft licensing fees. The savings are being reinvested in local digital initiatives, but the move is driven by more than just cost.
The impetus gained urgency following last year’s incident at the International Criminal Court (ICC), where a judge sanctioned by the US reportedly faced disruption to their Microsoft email and other web services. Dirk Schrödter, Schleswig-Holstein’s digital minister, explained that the ICC case highlighted the dependence of institutions and governments on proprietary software from a handful of global tech corporations – a dependency he views as a strategic weakness given the US’s evolving approach to international norms.
“State sovereignty today is no longer determined solely by military strength and the ability to enforce law and order domestically,” Schrödter stated, “but by the ability to steer, control and further develop digital systems and infrastructures and to be in charge of state data storage.”
Schleswig-Holstein has now published a blueprint for this transition, detailing how it moved away from Microsoft, and is receiving inquiries from other governments interested in replicating its approach. Microsoft 365 is widely used globally, with its convenience offered through web-based suites and cloud storage, but that convenience comes at a cost of at least €50 per user per month.
The Irish Government also utilizes Microsoft 365 services, but a spokesperson declined to comment on arrangements or costs, citing “contract confidentiality and security architecture.”
Germany’s federal government revealed it spent €481 million on Microsoft licenses last year – a 76% increase in two years. One network technician with experience in Microsoft 365 noted that the platform’s technical capabilities are a key factor in its continued popularity, but also acknowledged rising prices and limited options for escape once an organization is deeply integrated.
However, alternatives are emerging. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is shifting his chancellery away from Microsoft 365 to openDesk, a “sovereign by design” suite developed by ZenDiS, the Centre for Digital Sovereignty. France is also adopting a similar strategy with La Suite, an open-source platform being rolled out across the French public service.
David Amiel, the French minister for public services and reform, stated the goal is to “reclaim digital independence” and prevent sensitive data and strategic innovations from being exposed to non-European actors.
The core difference lies in the software licensing model. Microsoft’s code is proprietary and closed, sold as a product or service. Open-source software, like openDesk, makes its code freely available, allowing for community development, increased transparency, and greater user autonomy.
While Microsoft maintains that customer data is securely encrypted and inaccessible even to the company itself, concerns remain about potential access by US law enforcement or intelligence agencies under US law. The ICC incident fueled these concerns, prompting the court to switch to openDesk.
The Document Foundation, the organization behind LibreOffice – a popular open-source alternative to Microsoft Office – sees a “growing push to use public money for public code and to get away from lock-in by the tech giants.” Paolo Vecchi, a board member at the Document Foundation, believes the ICC incident served as a wake-up call.
“People are realising they need to have a plan B and move now and not when an incident happens to them,” Vecchi said.
James Geoghegan, a Fine Gael TD, agrees that Ireland should assess the protection of its democratic institutions from potential pressures exerted by US tech companies, even in the absence of an immediate threat. “The terrifying vista that has come to the fore, of sanctions imposed on Europe,” Geoghegan said, “means solutions are needed, and they lie within Europe.”
