From Word and Excel to LibreOffice: Danish ministry says goodbye to Microsoft | heise online

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jun 13, 2025,
updated Jun 16, 2025

The Danish Ministry of Digitization is to completely abandon Microsoft in the coming months and use Linux instead of Windows and switch from Office 365 to LibreOffice. Minister Caroline Stage (Moderaterne) announced this in an interview with the daily newspaper Politiken. It comes just a few days after the country's two largest municipalities initiated similar steps. This summer, half of the ministry's employees will be equipped with Linux and LibreOffice. If everything goes as expected, the entire ministry will be free of Microsoft by the fall, Politiken summarizes.

Far too dependent on a few providers

The Ministry of Digitalization's move away from Microsoft is therefore taking place against the backdrop of a new digitalization strategy in which the Kingdom's "digital sovereignty" is given priority. According to newspaper reports, the opposition is also calling for a reduction in dependence on US tech companies. Just a few days ago, the administration of the capital Copenhagen announced its intention to review the use of Microsoft software. The second-largest municipality, Aarhus, has already started to replace Microsoft services. Stage has now told Politiken that they should cooperate and that it is not a race. All municipalities should work together and strengthen open source.

Read on

Update

In ZDNet also:

• Why Denmark is dumping Microsoft Office and Windows for LibreOffice and Linux

  Denmark's Minister of Digitalization, Caroline Stage, has announced that the Danish government will start moving away from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice. Why? It's not because open-source is better, although I would argue that it is, but because Denmark wants to claim "digital sovereignty." In the States, you probably haven't heard that phrase, but in the European Union, digital sovereignty is a big deal and getting bigger.

  A combination of security, economic, political, and societal imperatives is driving the EU's digital sovereignty moves. EU leaders are seeking to reduce Europe's dependence on foreign technology providers, primarily those from the United States, and to assert greater control over its digital infrastructure, data, and technological future.

  Why? Because they're concerned about who controls European data, who sets the rules, and who can potentially cut off access to essential services in times of geopolitical tension.

Also in IDG:

• Denmark Wants to Dump Microsoft Software for Linux, LibreOffice

  A government ministry in Denmark is preparing to phase out Microsoft software and switch to the open-source Linux and LibreOffice.

  The country’s Ministry for Digital Affairs will kick off the transition next month by dumping Windows and Microsoft 365, starting first with half of its employees. “If everything goes as expected, all employees will be on an open-source solution during the autumn,” Danish news outlet Politiken reports.

  The change promises to save on costs and reduce the ministry’s dependency on US software. Denmark’s Minister for Digital Affairs, Caroline Stage, tells Politiken that "digital sovereignty" is now a priority under the ministry’s new four-year digitalization strategy.

3 more links:

• The Register UK ☛ Danish department determined to dump Microsoft

  The boss of Denmark's Ministry for Digitalization says her department will move away from Microsoft – starting with LibreOffice.

  In an interview with Danish broadsheet newspaper Politiken [Danish], Caroline Olsen, the country's Minister for Digital Affairs, said she is planning to lead by example and start removing Microsoft software and tools from the ministry. The minister told Jutland's Nordyske [🇩🇰 Danish, but not paywalled] the plan is that half the staff's computers – including her own – would have LibreOffice in place of Microsoft Office 365 in the first month, with the goal of total replacement by the end of the year.

• Graham Cluley ☛ Why Denmark is breaking up with Microsoft

  You can’t blame Denmark for being concerned. Its government’s sensitive data is nestled deep within a proprietary cloud on another country. One that is being less than friendly to you. It seems fair for Denmark to ask – is this sensible?

  Ultimately it’s a question of cost, trust, national security, and digital resilience.

• The Record ☛ Danish government agency to ditch Microsoft software in push for digital independence

  In an interview with the local newspaper Politiken, Danish Minister for Digitalisation Caroline Stage Olsen confirmed that over half of the ministry’s staff will switch from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice next month, with a full transition to open-source software by the end of the year.

  “If everything goes as expected, all employees will be on an open-source solution during the autumn,” Politiken reported, quoting Stage. The move would also help the ministry avoid the expense of managing outdated Windows 10 systems, which will lose official support in October.

Neowin:

• Denmark ditching backdoored Windows and Office for GNU/Linux as it may not want to rely on Microsoft, Convicted Felon

  Following Germany's move last year, Denmark is also trying to transition away from backdoored Windows and Office towards Linux.

Microsofers respond/spin:

• It's the year of Linux... at least for Denmark — here's why the country's government is dumping Windows and Office 365

  Denmark's Ministry of Digital Affairs will move away from Microsoft services, including Windows and Office 365. The ministry will shift to Linux and LibreOffice as replacements, as reported by Politiken.

  The migration will happen over time. Half of the ministry's staff will move to LibreOffice and Linux between June and August. The rest of the staff is expected to follow suit between September and November.

  We've seen government offices shift away from Windows and Microsoft products before, but the reasons cited have usually been cost related. While using Linux and LibreOffice will save some money, Denmark's Ministry of Digital Affairs highlighted a different reason for the move: digital sovereignty.

• Denmark wants to replace Windows and Office with Linux and LibreOffice as it seeks to embrace digital sovereignty

  Denmark is embarking on an ambitious effort to reduce its reliance on proprietary software from foreign tech giants by transitioning its government systems away from Microsoft offerings Windows and Office 365.

  The Danish Ministry of Digitalization reportedly plans a phased migration to Linux operating systems and LibreOffice for office productivity.

  The initiative is driven by concerns over digital sovereignty and the strategic risks of depending on foreign providers, particularly those based in the United States.