Danish government agency to ditch Microsoft software in push for digital independence
Hacker News
February 25, 2026
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Denmark’s tech modernization agency is making strides toward digital independence by replacing Microsoft products with open-source software. The Danish Ministry for Digitalisation announced plans to transition half of its staff from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice next month, with a full switch to open-source tools expected by the end of the year. This move aims to reduce reliance on U.S. tech companies and align with broader efforts to achieve "digital sovereignty." By adopting LibreOffice, Denmark also avoids the costs associated with maintaining outdated Windows 10 systems, which will lose official support in October.
LibreOffice, developed by The Document Foundation, offers a suite of tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, vector graphics, databases, and formula editing. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, making it a versatile alternative to Microsoft Office. While the transition is expected to be smooth, officials have noted that there could be a potential reversal if the process becomes too complex. Denmark’s shift follows similar actions by its largest municipalities, Copenhagen and Aarhus, which previously abandoned Microsoft software due to financial concerns, market dominance, and political tensions with the U.S.
The move reflects a growing trend across Europe toward digital independence. Schleswig-Holstein, a German state, recently announced plans to replace Microsoft Office tools like Word and Excel with LibreOffice, while Open
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Originally published on Hacker News on 2/25/2026