Europe’s digital sovereignty blueprint: from dependency to autonomy

Written by

Lorina Balan

, Digital Marketer

The reality is hard to ignore. Europe’s digital sovereignty is under pressure, with its digital space largely controlled by a few foreign giants. Over 74% of publicly listed European businesses rely on US-based email and productivity suites, mainly from Google or Microsoft, according to Proton’s Europe Tech Sovereignty Watch.

Our governments and schools continue to sign contracts with proprietary cloud services, overlooking European alternatives to SaaS that already exist. And now, trade negotiations have even floated the idea of softening EU tech rules like the Digital Markets Act in exchange for avoiding U.S. tariffs. Ludovic Dubost, founder of XWiki, puts it bluntly:

If we let trade pressure rewrite our digital rules, who really owns Europe’s tech future?

On one side, powerful U.S. platforms dominate European cloud infrastructure and collaboration tools. On the other, Europe talks a big game about “tech sovereignty” but often fails to back up words with action. It’s time to decide: Will we accept digital subservience, or will we reclaim our true digital sovereignty?

In this article, we explore:

• What digital sovereignty really means
• Europe’s dependence on U.S. tech
• Why open source is our secret weapon
• How a genuine sovereign cloud fits in
• XWiki’s blueprint for built-in sovereignty
• XWiki and the European open-source ecosystem
• The path forward for Europe’s digital autonomy
• Moving forward

What digital sovereignty really means

Digital sovereignty is the ability of a nation, organization, or individual to control its own digital infrastructure, data, and decision-making without outside interference. It goes beyond simply adding an EU data boundary clause to a contract. True sovereignty is built into the very architecture you operate, the governance you define, and the economic models you choose. It means no hidden backdoors, no surprise CLOUD Act orders, and full technical control over your systems and data. In other words, if someone else holds the keys to your data, it’s not truly your infrastructure, it’s theirs.

Consider that even when data is stored on European soil, if the cloud service provider is subject to foreign laws, your data is effectively under foreign jurisdiction. For example, Microsoft representatives admitted under oath in France that they cannot guarantee EU data won’t be handed over to U.S. authorities upon request, despite Microsoft’s European contracts. This stark reality underscores that legal jurisdiction can trump geography.

Europe cannot build digital sovereignty on systems it doesn’t control or on promises from overseas vendors. True sovereignty means owning the legal, operational, and technical stack of your digital tools.

Europe’s dependence on U.S. tech

Europe’s reliance on U.S. technology is deep and far-reaching, often coming at the expense of home‑grown alternatives. A recent report by Proton's Europe Tech Sovereignty Watch illustrates how a single choice, such as your organization’s email provider, can lock in an entire productivity and collaboration ecosystem. Most of the time, that ecosystem is dominated by Microsoft or Google. The findings are alarming:

• France: Roughly 66% of publicly listed French businesses rely on U.S. tech for email and collaboration. In France’s critical automobile sector, nearly 77% use U.S.-based solutions. This comes from a country that prides itself on “tech autonomy.”
• United Kingdom: 88% of UK businesses (nearly 9 out of 10) depend on U.S. providers. Even in the UK’s strategic industries like banking and telecom, around 95% of firms rely on U.S. tech. Essentially, if a Briton makes a phone call, withdraws cash, or turns on a light, odds are the underpinning tech is foreign.
• Spain: About 74% of Spanish companies depend on U.S. tech, and shockingly, some of Spain’s most critical sectors are at 100% dependency. For instance, in sectors like energy and banking, every single major Spanish company uses U.S.-run software.
• Ireland & Portugal: Ireland’s reliance is nearly total, as 100% of Irish public companies use U.S. tech services. Portugal likewise sees nearly 72% overall dependence, with 9 major sectors entirely dependent on U.S. providers.

Putting your data in a U.S.-owned cloud means the U.S. CLOUD Act follows it. That is not sovereignty. It’s a glaring vulnerability. European organizations, including public institutions, are essentially renting their digital infrastructure from foreign landlords. This exposes European data to potential legal overreach and geopolitical whims. If Washington’s policies shift or a trade dispute escalates, what’s the backup plan for Europe?

At the same time, Nextcloud’s Digital Sovereignty Index (DSI) offers a complementary perspective. It measures the true footprint of digital sovereignty by counting real-world deployments of self-hosted collaboration and productivity tools per 100,000 citizens. In the latest DSI:

• Finland leads Europe with a score of 64.5, followed by Germany (53.85) and the Netherlands (36.32).
• The EU average remains modest at 16.31.
• Countries like the UK (9.21), Spain (7.01), Italy (6.49), and Belgium (7.15) fall notably behind.

This tells a compelling story: While Big Tech dominates at the organizational level, especially among large institutions, citizens and smaller organizations in countries like Finland and Germany are increasingly choosing self-hosted, sovereign alternatives.

Putting these findings together provides a powerful contrast:

This gap between political rhetoric and operational reality is where Europe’s digital weakness lies. It's not enough to talk about digital sovereignty. Real progress depends on measurable uptake of European and open-source alternatives.

For organizations ready to break the cycle of dependency, there are viable European sovereign cloud providers and open-source alternatives for almost every major software need. By exploring them, organizations can restore local control over their data and reduce exposure to foreign interference.

In fact, we’ve compiled a guide to open-source alternatives that can replace the usual Big Tech offerings and help regain sovereignty. There is a way out of lock-in, if we choose to pursue it.

Why open source is our secret weapon

Embracing open source is more than a technical decision – it’s a strategic and political one. Open source is Europe’s path to tech independence. Here’s why:

Transparency and trust

With open source, the code is auditable by anyone. There are no opaque “black boxes.” This makes it far easier to spot backdoors or security flaws than in proprietary systems. Community-driven audits often outstrip what any single corporation can offer in terms of scrutiny. As shown in our article on open source in public administration, transparency and accountability are key benefits. As a result, open source and open standards become the backbone of digital sovereignty by ensuring users (and nations) aren’t blindly trusting a vendor’s claims.

Control and freedom from lock-in

Open source flips the power dynamic. Users of open-source tools are not powerless tenants, but active stakeholders. Because the code is open, public bodies or companies can audit it, customize it, patch vulnerabilities, and even fork it to steer development in line with local laws or specific needs. You’re not stuck waiting on a vendor’s roadmap or begging for features. There’s no single point of failure and no risk of unilateral shutdowns. If one provider stops servicing the software, others can take over, or you can self-host. In other words, your platform outlives the software subscription. That is true independence.

Collaborative innovation and economic leverage

For years, European institutions have poured more than €20 billion annually into proprietary collaboration suites, much of it flowing straight to Silicon Valley. This spending doesn’t just buy software. It builds the research budgets, infrastructure, and market dominance of foreign tech giants.

Redirecting even a fraction of that investment toward open-source solutions would have a compounding effect:

• Strengthening local expertise – funding European developers, service providers, and support teams
• Growing the regional tech economy – keeping revenue within the EU instead of exporting it overseas
• Retaining control – ensuring the software you rely on is governed under European law and values

Every euro spent on open source is more than a procurement choice – it’s a long-term investment in skills, companies, and software that remain under European control. No more sending public funds abroad only to rent access back with limited say in how the tools evolve.

The European Commission’s 2024 Open Source Strategy calls open source “a key enabler of digital sovereignty” and urges institutions to adopt and contribute to it. We’re already seeing progress: municipalities moving to Linux, the French Gendarmerie replacing proprietary office suites, universities embracing open-source learning platforms. But these are still exceptions, not the norm. Too many organizations default to closed platforms out of habit, procurement lock-in, or misplaced risk aversion. That mindset has to change.

At XWiki, every commit is a commitment to the idea that Europe can and should build its own tools. Our work on open source and digital sovereignty shows how community-driven development delivers more transparency, security, and adaptability than any closed, vendor-controlled model. When Europe invests in open source, it invests in itself, and builds the foundation for lasting digital independence.

The bottom line: Open source isn’t just about saving money, it’s about regaining power.

How a genuine sovereign cloud fits in

Not all cloud services marketed as “European” or “sovereign” truly live up to that promise. Simply hosting data in EU regions or slapping a flag on the data center is not enough if the provider’s parent company is foreign. True sovereign cloud means European laws and entities have full jurisdiction and control over the infrastructure and data. If your cloud provider can be compelled by an outside government to hand over data or shut down services, then your cloud isn’t sovereign. No matter where the servers sit.

We’ve seen a wave of “sovereign cloud” branding from U.S. tech giants recently, aimed at calming European fears. Early 2025 saw U.S. hyper-scalers like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google aggressively promoting variants of “sovereign cloud” offerings. Microsoft announced its “European Cloud Principles” (later rebranded as “European Digital Sovereignty Commitments”) with grand promises of local control, privacy, and resilience. Others like AWS and Google made similar noises, assuring Europeans that their clouds could be trusted as “safe” and “shielded.” This is “sovereign washing” (dubbed by Frank Karlitschek, Nextcloud's CEO) – marketing sovereignty while in practice obeying a foreign master.

So what does a genuine sovereign cloud look like? In plain terms, it means the provider is European, the infrastructure is European, and control over data access never leaves Europe’s legal jurisdiction. It means the cloud operates under EU privacy laws (GDPR and beyond) with no ifs or buts, and no foreign “back doors.” To cut through the jargon, here’s how XWiki approaches sovereign cloud in 2 flavors:

XWiki Cloud (SaaS)

Our fully managed, EU-hosted collaboration platform, is designed for organizations that want to focus on their work, not their infrastructure. We host in OVHcloud’s certified data centers in France, ensuring your data remains under EU jurisdiction and protected by GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001, and SOC 1/2/3 standards.

You benefit from:

• Automatic updates, security patches, and backups
• Disaster recovery and high availability SLAs
• End-to-end encryption for your content and communications
• Expert support from our European team

And because XWiki is open source, you retain full portability. If regulations change or you simply decide to move, you can export all your data in standard formats, no proprietary lock-in. This means the convenience of a managed service, with the freedom to adapt at any time.

XWiki Cloud Private: full control, your way

For organizations with stricter compliance needs, XWiki Cloud Private offers dedicated, isolated infrastructure. This can be deployed:

• In a private section of our European cloud
• Or on-premises in your own EU data center

With this option, you decide:

• The network architecture and access policies
• Backup schedules and retention
• Maintenance windows and update cycles

Hybrid setups are also possible, keeping sensitive knowledge in a private instance while using the public cloud for less sensitive collaboration, with federation between them and no vendor lock-in. In every case, you hold the keys. Our support and operations teams are based in Europe, and all legal frameworks are clear and local.

Both of these approaches are about building sovereignty into the cloud offering itself. Beware of “sovereign cloud” offers where the fine print says a non-EU parent company ultimately controls access or encryption keys. Legal jurisdiction trumps marketing. A truly European sovereign cloud will explicitly ensure that only EU-based entities can access data and only under EU law. Anything less is a cloud of cards that could collapse under external pressure.

For a deeper breakdown of our hosting models and how we ensure data sovereignty in each, see our guide to XWiki hosting solutions.

XWiki’s blueprint for built-in sovereignty

From day one, XWiki was designed with built-in sovereignty in mind. As a company rooted in open-source values, we knew that true independence had to be architected, not retrofitted. Here’s our blueprint for software that puts you in control:

#1 Open architecture

XWiki is modular and extensible. You can inspect or swap out any component. There are no secret bits of code doing things you can’t see. This modularity means you integrate it with other tools on your own terms.

#2 Freedom to host anywhere

 You have the freedom to deploy XWiki wherever it suits you – on our managed cloud, on a public cloud of your choice, on bare-metal servers in your basement, or in a sovereign government data center. It runs on standard technologies, without proprietary hardware or cloud dependencies. Your data stays where you decide.

#3 Fine-grained control

 XWiki comes with advanced permission management and complete audit logs tracking every action. You set the rules (which teams or individuals can access what) and you can monitor everything. Need multifactor authentication or custom compliance workflows? It’s all in your hands, not hidden behind a vendor’s admin panel.

#4 No lock-in, full portability

Because it’s open source, XWiki avoids proprietary file formats. All your content can be exported in standard formats at any time. Whether exporting a single workspace or moving the entire platform, you’re never trapped. We even provide migration tools to help you leave, because we’re confident you’ll stay by choice, not force.

#5 Interoperability

XWiki plays well with others. It offers integrations with other open-source services like Nextcloud for storage, OnlyOffice or Collabora for documents, and more. It supports open standards (REST, LDAP/AD, OAuth, etc.) for connecting to your existing IT landscape. This means you can build a full open-source stack without gaps, and replace or upgrade any piece of it down the line without breaking everything.

This blueprint embodies “sovereignty by design”. We didn’t add these features after the fact; they have always been core to XWiki. It’s a point of principle for us that a customer’s knowledge base should be theirs, not ours. Every organization using XWiki can choose exactly how much they rely on us. Some let us handle everything (for convenience), others just take the software and run it themselves. Both groups benefit from the continuous improvements made by a vibrant European open-source community.

XWiki and the European open-source ecosystem

Being sovereign doesn’t mean working in isolation. In practice, digital sovereignty is built through collaboration between European providers who share open-source values, interoperability, and a commitment to keeping control in European hands.

XWiki is proud to stand alongside many other European open-source projects to build a strong, collaborative ecosystem of alternatives that can genuinely rival Big Tech. We actively participate in and co-found initiatives that unite these tools into cohesive solutions:

Suite Hexagone

Developed under the France 2030 program, this is a fully open-source collaboration suite designed as a sovereign alternative to Microsoft 365. It combines best-of-breed French and European solutions:

• XWiki for knowledge management
• BlueMind for email and calendar
• Interstis for team collaboration
• Linphone for secure calls
• Parsec for zero-trust storage
• Tranquil IT for deployment and management

openDesk

Led by Germany’s ZenDiS, openDesk provides a modular, EU-hosted workplace for public administration. It bundles open-source components like Nextcloud, Collabora, XWiki, OpenProject, Jitsi, Element, and Univention Nexus into an integrated, Kubernetes-based platform that can be deployed on-premises or in sovereign clouds.

Our new partnership with OpenProject

Together, XWiki and OpenProject deliver a complete, open-source alternative to Confluence and Jira. XWiki offers a flexible, extensible platform for collaborative documentation and knowledge sharing, matching and surpassing what Confluence provides in structure and adaptability. OpenProject brings robust project management and issue tracking, making it a strong replacement for Jira.

The partnership creates an integrated, vendor-neutral stack that respects privacy, operates entirely under European governance, and avoids the lock-in of proprietary tools. For organizations aiming to migrate away from Big Tech while maintaining full functionality and a familiar user experience, this combination offers a clear, ready-to-deploy path.

These initiatives and collaborations are more than technical integrations. They are statements of intent. Every time European providers choose to work together on open, interoperable solutions, they strengthen the region’s ability to control its own digital future.

True sovereignty will not come from waiting for Big Tech to adapt to European values. It will come from building and adopting our own tools, governed by our laws, developed by our communities, and supported by our economies.

When governments, institutions, and companies choose European open-source providers, they are making a political choice as much as a technical one: to invest in independence, resilience, and democratic control over the digital infrastructure we all rely on.

The path forward for Europe’s digital autonomy

Technology is never neutral, it reflects choices and power structures. Europe now faces a defining choice in the digital realm. Do we remain customers of foreign tech feudal lords, or do we become custodians of our own digital destiny?

We have leverage if we choose to use it. Big Tech will only listen to one language: revenue. Every euro that European governments, companies, and citizens do not spend on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud is a vote against the status quo. Every contract that shifts to a European provider or an open-source solution is a direct blow against Big Tech’s feudal power. It sends the message that we demand control, not just convenience.

So, how can you help reclaim Europe’s digital sovereignty?

#1 Demand open-source options in your next IT tender or procurement

 If you’re a public sector IT decision-maker or a private enterprise CIO, insist that bidders include open-source or sovereign cloud alternatives. Make “Can we self-host or switch providers easily?” a key criterion.

#2 Choose European sovereign cloud services whenever possible

Need to deploy on the cloud? Consider providers based in Europe that guarantee data stays under EU law. Support local champions and in turn grow the market for sovereign solutions.

#3 Hold regulators and leaders to their promises

The EU policymakers talked a lot about digital sovereignty. It's our mission to ensure they follow through. Support policies and legislation that favor data locality, open standards, and competition. Push back against any attempts (front-door or back-door) to dilute protections in exchange for trade deals. Our digital rules shouldn’t be negotiable in geopolitics.

#4 Invest in skills and communities

Encourage your teams to participate in open-source projects. Contribute back fixes or features to the tools you use. This isn’t just altruism, it’s strategic. The more Europeans actively develop and audit the software we rely on, the more secure and tailored to our needs those tools become.

Ultimately, every euro and every decision counts. Europe’s digital future depends on many individual choices made by CIOs, policymakers, and even everyday users. If convenience alone drives those choices, we’ll drift further into dependency. But if principles of trust, privacy, and sovereignty guide them, we can build an innovative digital ecosystem that stands on its own.

Moving forward

It’s time to take back control. Reclaiming digital sovereignty won’t happen overnight, but it will never happen at all if we don’t start making different choices now. The path forward is clear: demand openness, choose local whenever feasible, and make transparency and accountability our baseline for all tech. Europe’s tech future belongs in European hands, let’s keep it that way.

Europe has the talent, the resources, and the political will (at least on paper) to achieve digital autonomy. The remaining ingredient is action. Ready to get started? Explore the open-source alternatives available. Talk to providers like XWiki and others who are building sovereign solutions. And above all, vote with your IT budget. The era of passive dependence can end, and a new chapter of digital self-determination can begin.

One open-source project, one sovereign cloud contract, and one enlightened decision at a time.