France To Use Linux Instead Of Microsoft Windows For Its Workstations, Here's Why

It seems like France is making a move to make a switch from the conventionally used Microsoft Windows, and this move forms a part of a broader initiative by the European countries to reduce their reliance on American tech. The new operating system that the country has proposed it will use is Linux. A report from TechCrunch suggests that France is looking forward to taking a more open-source alternative that is Linux as it restructures how the workstations run. Even with no in-house alternatives, the European Union seems ready to get rid of its dependency where it can do so.

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French minister David Amiel framed the move as an attempt to “regain control of our digital destiny”, signalling a clear shift away from dependence on U.S. tech giants. He stressed that France can’t continue in a situation where it lacks control over its own data and digital backbone. That said, the government hasn’t shared a rollout timeline or confirmed which Linux versions it plans to adopt. The transition is expected to start with machines used by the state’s digital unit, DINUM.

The decision ties into a larger European push for digital sovereignty, where countries are actively trying to reduce reliance on external tech ecosystems, especially from the U.S. and China. Policymakers across the region are increasingly wary of the risks that come with that dependence. Back in January, the European Parliament approved a report asking the European Commission to pinpoint areas where such reliance can be scaled down.

"I want to be very clear: our digital sovereignty is our digital sovereignty," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the Munich Security Conference in February. She added, "We have a long tradition in freedom of speech. Actually, the Enlightenment started on our continent."

But Why Now?

This move comes against the backdrop of rising tariffs from Trump, who has imposed such duties on the European nations to force them to drop their tariffs on the American tech industry. In December last year, the US State Department imposed entry bans on five Europeans, alleging they were behind coordinated attempts to push tech companies into curbing or silencing certain American viewpoints. The move reflects rising tensions over Europe’s stance on regulating hate speech and misinformation.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said those facing visa restrictions, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton, were part of "organised efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetise, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”