France Ditches Windows for Linux: Digital Sovereignty Push

France has officially announced a national policy to migrate government computers away from Windows to Linux, a significant move towards digital sovereignty. By the fall of 2026, every French government ministry must implement its migration plan, a directive aimed at reducing dependence on American technology and regaining control over digital infrastructure and data.

This transition, which includes evaluating complementary software like antivirus and collaborative tools, signifies a direct challenge to Microsoft's dominance. France has already begun this shift, having previously discontinued the use of Microsoft Teams. The government emphasizes regaining control of its digital destiny, stating that strategic decisions should not depend on external solutions with uncontrolled rules and risks.

The French police force has been using a Linux variant called GendBuntu since 2008, currently running on over 100,000 PCs. This existing infrastructure is expected to expand, with an additional 2.5 million government workstations slated to transition from Windows systems by next year.

This national-level decision by France follows similar, albeit smaller, moves in Europe, such as the German state of Schleswig-Holstein's adoption of Linux. The scale of France's policy, affecting millions of computers, presents a unique challenge for Microsoft. This shift is occurring amidst ongoing user dissatisfaction with Windows 11, citing performance issues, bugs, and concerns over the integration of AI features.