EU Governments Are Moving From Windows to Linux

Schleswig-Holstein: the flagship current case

Schleswig-Holstein's state government published an Open Innovation and Open Source Strategy in November 2024. The strategy frames open source as a route to digital sovereignty, trust, transparency, and support for the regional digital economy.

The Document Foundation reported the earlier decision as a move from Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office to Linux, LibreOffice, and other free and open-source software on 30,000 government PCs. The state's own material also emphasizes training, functionality, and a managed migration rather than a sudden big-bang switch.

Read the Schleswig-Holstein strategy announcement

Denmark: important, but more nuanced

Denmark's Ministry of Digital Affairs became a high-profile example in 2025 because it moved toward LibreOffice for digital sovereignty reasons. Early coverage suggested a full Linux-and-Windows shift, but later reporting clarified that the confirmed ministry move was away from Microsoft Office, while Windows remained on PCs at that stage.

That correction matters. It shows how governments usually migrate in layers. Office files, email, collaboration, identity, and data storage may move first; operating systems can come later after application compatibility, training, and procurement questions are settled.

Read the Denmark correction and context

French Gendarmerie: the mature Linux desktop lesson

France's National Gendarmerie has long been the example public-sector technologists cite when asked whether a large organization can move real users onto a Linux desktop. Its GendBuntu program grew from application-level open source to a customized Ubuntu-based workstation environment.

The lesson is practical: successful migrations are not just about replacing Windows. They require support models, phased deployment, open formats, browser compatibility, training, hardware procurement, and a clear reason that users can understand.

Read the GendBuntu overview

European Commission: open source as policy

The European Commission adopted an open-source software strategy and later a Commission Decision on open-source licensing and reuse of Commission software. That is not a desktop replacement by itself, but it creates a policy foundation for public institutions to publish, reuse, and collaborate on software.

Joinup also reported the launch of code.europa.eu and quoted Commission technology leadership describing a move from consuming open source to building solutions on it. In the same address, Commission IT leadership said 70 percent of Commission servers run Linux.

Read the Commission open-source decision

Not every migration is a straight line

Government Linux migrations can stall, reverse, or narrow in scope when application compatibility, political leadership, user training, document macros, or support contracts are underestimated. That does not weaken the open-source trend. It makes the implementation lesson sharper.

The winning pattern is not ideological purity. It is control where control matters, open standards where interoperability matters, and pragmatic deployment where users still need to get work done.

Read The Document Foundation's Schleswig-Holstein summary

Linux reduces forced upgrade pressure

Public agencies often run old equipment and long-lived workflows. Linux can extend useful hardware life and give administrators more control over update timing, desktop images, and support windows.

Linux rewards standards-based applications

Browser-based and standards-friendly systems travel across operating systems more easily. That makes future migrations less disruptive because the core business process is not trapped on one desktop platform.

Linux still needs change management

The biggest risks are not usually technical alone. Users need training, templates must be tested, integrations must be mapped, and help desks need clear escalation paths.