Open Source First is right, but not enough.

Open Source First is the right principle for EU digital sovereignty. It is also not enough, and I know that because I spent a year trying to build the kind of infrastructure that “open source first” implicitly assumes will be there. On June 3, the European Commission will put forward the EU Tech Sovereignty Package. Ahead of that, SUSE and a coalition of European open source companies have published an open letter. They want one specific addition to the upcoming Cloud and AI Development Act (CAIDA): all public sector procurement of software and digital services should first assess whether a qualified open source alternative exists, before a proprietary one is considered. I support it. Anyone serious about European digital sovereignty should. But I want to add something the letter does not say. The letter is right about the disease The diagnosis is correct, and the language is sharp. The current default is a “weak sovereignty posture” caused by years of procurement decisions made…