European organizations are increasingly talking about “digital sovereignty”, and some institutions have begun the migration away from Big Tech software. This historic turn toward digital sovereignty has given Free Software a unique opportunity, but it also comes with risks. Will procurement budgets end up supporting long-standing Free Software projects, or the opportunists capitalizing on new business opportunities? Might Free Software be passed over for proprietary Europe-first products? How can Free Software communities like KDE reach the institutions looking for digital independence?
In this talk I will present the work KDE e.V. is doing to reach public institutions. Which opportunities and risks have we identified? What services do we see as necessary for institutional change and how can our community provide them? And in the current political climate, how do we present such a diverse and international community as KDE to nationally-oriented politicians? This presentation will provide input for a larger discussion about Free Software in the context of political rhetoric around digital sovereignty.
