The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, uses Microsoft Teams, a collaboration platform like many other organizations. However, the Commission has also introduced what it calls a "sovereign backup solution" — a system intended to reduce reliance on foreign technology. This platform, named Element Pro, is a collaboration software designed for governments and public sector entities, developed by a London-based company of the same name. Despite the Commission's goal of promoting digital independence, feedback from civil servants has been mixed. One staff member wrote on an internal forum that they did not understand the added value of Element Pro, while another described it as "absolute shit." A third official joked that if judged by Element Pro, the United States "would instantly win the war" if their technologies simply ceased to function. Another official did defend Element Pro, noting that it operates on the European Commission's own infrastructure, unlike Microsoft Teams, where data is handled by Microsoft. In January 2026, France announced the widespread adoption of Visio, a tool developed by the interministerial digital direction (DINUM), across all state services by 2027. The goal was to replace non-European solutions and ensure the security and confidentiality of public communications with a sovereign tool. This effort reflects a broader European push to reduce dependence on American technology. In 2024, the German state of Schleswig-Holstein began transitioning from Microsoft software to free and open-source alternatives, starting with LibreOffice and then moving to Linux on 30,000 workstations. In June 2025, the state announced it had abandoned Microsoft Teams for a free solution. Similarly, a Turkish municipality reportedly saved $1 million by switching to Linux from Windows. However, these initiatives have faced challenges, with some organizations reverting to Windows after initial attempts to adopt open-source software. This raises questions: Is Microsoft simply better? Are pro-Microsoft lobbying efforts influencing decisions? A recent report attempts to explore these issues. The European Commission has accepted, last year, to end a large antitrust investigation into Microsoft Teams' business practices in Europe. However, in what seems to be a concession to the difficulty of finding a European alternative, the Commission has only deployed Element Pro as an "internal backup solution." No one has been forced to use the tool, but it is currently being tested, and some members of the European Commission staff who have used it have given it very negative feedback. European officials have clashed with American technology companies on competition issues for much of the last decade. The perceived aggressive policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump toward Europe have increased distrust, and European intelligence agencies have reportedly grown more cautious about their relationship with American counterparts. As a result, European officials are concerned that Microsoft might pose a risk in terms of espionage. A service note from the European Commission addressed to its staff in July 2026 emphasized the Commission's advocacy for "digital sovereignty." In May 2026, the Commission also proposed a "Tech Sovereignty Package" that could restrict AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud from handling sensitive data from public administrations. Behind these efforts lies a larger struggle: achieving strategic autonomy in a digital world dominated by American companies, which control about 70% of the market. A sovereign cloud infrastructure is still developing, and challenges remain. Matthew Hodgson, CEO of Element, acknowledged that the transition to Element Pro would involve "some startup problems" and a "cognitive dissonance" related to the software change. He noted that Element Pro is also used by the United Nations and NATO, and that "change is always painful, especially when it comes to switching from a heavily used program like Teams." This year, Europe's push for digital sovereignty faced challenges from within the open-source community. Euro-Office 1.0, a new online alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, has sparked strong reactions from LibreOffice supporters, who believe its reliance on Microsoft document formats contradicts the project's goals. This conflict highlights a deeper divide within the open-source world: should European software prioritize practical compatibility with existing systems or stick to ideological purity in avoiding proprietary formats?