Denmark Follows Germany in Ditching Microsoft for Open-Source Tools

If you follow Microsoft-related news, you must be aware that last year, one of Germany’s state offices began shifting 30,000 workers away from Microsoft softwares in favor of Linux and LibreOffice. Now, Denmark is taking a similar path, moving away from tools like Microsoft 365 and Windows.

Starting next month, the country’s Ministry for Digital Affairs will begin phasing out Windows and Microsoft 365. Half the staff will make the switch first. If the rollout stays on track, the rest will follow by autumn, according to Danish news outlet Politiken.

The move is part of Denmark’s new four-year digital strategy. Minister for Digital Affairs, Caroline Stage, says the goal is greater “digital sovereignty.” That means cutting costs, reducing dependency on American tech, and having more control over what runs inside government systems.

There’s also timing at play. Windows 10 support ends in October, and rather than switching to a new version from Microsoft, the ministry sees this as a good moment to go open-source. Still, Stage admits it’s not a one-way door. “If phasing out proves to be too complicated, we can revert back to Microsoft in an instant,” she told Politiken.

This isn’t just about one office. Both Copenhagen and Aarhus are looking at similar exits, driven in part by years of political pressure to move away from U.S. software vendors. If successful, Denmark could be the latest example of a European government betting on open tools, trying to prove that public infrastructure doesn’t have to come with a Microsoft license attached.

Not to forget, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a similar stance, suggesting that companies like Microsoft and Zoom must be “throttled.”