Table of Contents
- 1 Why is this initiative relevant?
- 2 What are the precedents?
- 3 What approach could we propose?
- 4 What are the open questions?
- 5 Go further
- 6 Over its digital infrastructure. However, potential challenges include the need for substantial funding, collaboration across member states, and overcoming resistance from traditional software vendors who may perceive this initiative as a threat to their market share. Additionally, there may be concerns about the skills gap in the public administrations that need to adopt and maintain this new system.
A petition recently submitted to the European Parliament proposes to develop an open source operating system, called “EU-Linux”, intended to equip the public administrations of the Member States. According to its author, an anonymous Austrian citizen, this initiative aims to reduce the European Union‘s dependence on proprietary software, notably that of Microsoft, while strengthening digital sovereignty, GDPR compliance and transparency, and contributing to the sustainable development. The text of the petition also highlights the importance of promoting open source solutions to replace proprietary software in the daily tasks of public administrations.
This initiative, although modest, has the merit of putting the technical and organizational issues of switching large public administrations to Linux back on the table. It also questions how the European Union could commit more actively to free software in its digital infrastructures: How to guarantee, through technical and governance choices, effective collaboration between institutions, open source communities and industrial players to ensure the quality, sustainability and development of this distribution? How to overcome cultural and organizational resistance within administrations?
Drawing on precedents such as, for example, LiMux in Germany or GendBuntu in France, this project offers an opportunity to learn from past experiences. The open source community is invited to participate in this debate to propose concrete solutions and make this proposal a catalyst for true European digital sovereignty.
The following is a condensed version of the ideas and references developed in the note Sovereign OS “EU Linux” of the author of this dispatch.
Why is this initiative relevant?
The EU-Linux initiative responds to crucial strategic issues for the European Union. Dependence on proprietary software and cloud services, mainly developed and operated outside Europe, exposes sensitive administration data to cybersecurity risks and surveillance permitted by the extraterritorial laws of the countries concerned. By adopting an open source system and solutions, Europe could guarantee full transparency, strengthen the protection of personal, economic and strategic data, and increase its digital sovereignty, while promoting substantial savings on software licensing costs.
Recent studies demonstrate that open source is already an essential pillar of the European digital economy. An analysis published by the Commission (2021) estimates that increased adoption of open source software could generate up to €95 billion in annual economic value by 2030 in the EU.
What are the precedents?
Several initiatives around the world have explored similar approaches to strengthening their digital autonomy. In France, the Gendarmerie migrated more than 70,000 seats to Ubuntu, achieving significant savings while improving security. In Russia, Astra Linux was adopted for the needs of national administrations, guaranteeing full compliance with their security requirements. In Germany, the LiMux project in Munich demonstrated the technical, financial and organizational feasibility of such a move, although it was stopped due to political and institutional pressures. The migration plan initiated by the Land of Schleswig-Holstein, in progress since 2021, demonstrates that the unfortunate experience of Munich has not slowed down the desires of certain regional governments to adopt open source solutions for their administrations.
In France, the subject was widely discussed in 2016 as part of the idea of a “sovereign OS”, put forward in particular by Delphine Batho, MP at the time. This proposal aimed to create an open source alternative for public administrations, based on existing Linux distributions like Debian or Ubuntu, while promoting national development to better protect sensitive data and reduce dependence on foreign giants. Although this idea received some media coverage, it was met with significant skepticism, including from people who could have contributed more positively to the discussion and constructive proposals. Two recent studies (2022), one for the DGFIP and the other for the Ministry of the Armed Forcesunderline the technical feasibility and outline avenues for carrying out such projects.
What approach could we propose?
To maximize EU-Linux’s chances of success, it is essential to adopt a collaborative approach involving European institutions, open source communities and local manufacturers. Rather than starting from scratch, the initiative should rely, in one way or another, on existing Linux distributions, with a high proportion of developers in Europe, such as Debian or NixOS, recognized for their reliability and wide adoption. The European open source community could thus play a central role in the customization and maintenance of this distribution, within the framework of shared governance, and by taking advantage of the already rich ecosystem of skills and solutions available.
What are the open questions?
Several strategic questions remain unanswered. What technical basis should we choose for EU-Linux in order to ensure smooth adoption in various administrative contexts? How can we guarantee long-term commitment from European governments to this project? And how can differences between national needs and the need for standardization at EU level be reconciled? Finally, what measures, including financial ones, should be put in place to sustain the contribution of open source communities and ensure the maintenance and continued evolution of EU-Linux?
The free software community is invited to express itself and contribute to meeting these challenges and building a truly sovereign and innovative digital infrastructure.
Go further
Sure, I’d be happy to help you with that! Here’s an interview with two guests discussing the petition to develop an EU-Linux operating system:
Host: Hello everyone, and welcome to today’s show! We are delighted to have two esteemed guests with us: Martin, a software engineer with extensive experience in the open-source community, and Danielle, a policy analyst specializing in digital infrastructure and sovereignty. Today we will discuss the petition submitted to the European Parliament proposing the development of an EU-Linux operating system.
Martin, let’s start with you. As a software engineer, what are your thoughts on this initiative? How feasible do you think it is to develop a new open-source operating system for the EU’s public administrations?
Martin: Hi, thank you for having me. I think it’s an excellent idea to develop an open-source operating system for the EU’s public administrations. It aligns with the principles of digital sovereignty and promotes the use of free software, which has numerous benefits. In terms of feasibility, it’s not going to be easy, but it’s definitely possible. We can look at existing Linux distributions like Debian or Ubuntu as a starting point and customize them to meet the unique needs of the EU’s public administrations.
Host: Can you explain the advantages of using open-source software in the context of public administration?
Martin: Sure. Open-source software is transparent, which means anyone can inspect the code and ensure it’s free from backdoors or other security vulnerabilities. It’s also cheaper in the long run since there are no licensing fees to pay. Furthermore, it promotes innovation and collaboration since anyone can contribute to the development of the software. This aligns well with the goals of the European Union, which values openness, transparency, and cooperation.
Host: Danielle, as a policy analyst, what do you think are the political and strategic implications of this initiative? Do you see any potential challenges in implementing it?
Danielle: Absolutely. This initiative is crucial for the EU’s digital autonomy and data protection. By using open-source software, the EU can reduce its dependence on proprietary software from companies like Microsoft and guarantee full control
