The Document Foundation has published an open letter to European citizens, calling for a shift to free and open source software and less reliance on proprietary platforms.
The main point of the letter is digital sovereignty, emphasizing that Europe should control its digital infrastructure, data, and public-sector IT systems. At the same time, it raises concerns about long-term dependence on non-European technology providers and the risks of vendor lock-in.
The organization recommends that public institutions prioritize open standards and interoperable solutions. The letter stresses that government software should ensure transparency, long-term accessibility, and independence from single vendors.
Regarding the use of public funds, The Document Foundation argues that taxpayer money should support open-source software development rather than proprietary ecosystems. This supports the “public money, public code” principle, which advocates making publicly funded software accessible to all.
In light of their product, LibreOffice, the letter connects open standards to data control, noting that proprietary file formats can restrict long-term access to information. The publication appears amid ongoing European Union discussions about digital sovereignty, cloud infrastructure, and regulation of large technology providers.
While the letter does not propose specific policy measures, it urges European citizens and decision-makers to consider the broader impact of software choices.
Finally, I’d just like to point out that concrete steps have already been taken in this direction. The most recent example is Germany, which has mandated the Open Document Format (ODF) as the standard for public administration documents within its new sovereign digital infrastructure framework, the Deutschland Stack.
