By Alex Barrientos
Publication Date: 2026-04-10 16:17:00
France just handed Microsoft a termination notice for 2.5 million government devices. The Interministerial Digital Directorate issued an official directive requiring all ministries to develop Linux migration plans by autumn 2026, ditching Windows as part of a broader push for digital independence.
This isn’t just about operating systems. The overhaul extends to:
This essentially rebuilds France’s entire government tech stack without U.S. dependencies.
Europe’s Coordinated Tech Rebellion
France joins a growing European exodus from U.S. tech dominance. Austria’s military switched to LibreOffice, Denmark committed to Linux across government operations, and Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein migrated 44,000 email accounts away from Microsoft.
Lyon’s local government already proves this works at scale. Their 10,000 employees ditched Windows and Office for Linux and OnlyOffice, with the transition projected to save €1 million annually per 100,000 users while extending hardware life…
