One year of the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization: Where does digital sovereignty stand?

The new EVB-IT regulations enable the legally compliant procurement of open source software in public administration for the first time. This is an important step, but it is not enough. This is because open source does not automatically become the standard. Instead, it initially only means that authorities can purchase open source without bureaucratic hurdles.

The real problem is that the administration needs concrete support - in the form of training, advice and clear guidelines to actually introduce open source and use it sustainably. Without this support, theory lags far behind practice.

The ministry is focusing on European solutions - and that is fundamentally correct. Not because open source has to be „local“, but because value creation and control in Europe strengthen digital sovereignty. Open source is global by nature, but the infrastructure and data must be in European hands.

With solutions such as OpenTalk and OpenCloud, the Heinlein Group proves that sovereign, GDPR-compliant alternatives work independently of US hyperscalers. However, as long as procurement practices continue to end up with proprietary providers, the call for „European cooperation“ will remain an empty phrase.

This is where the biggest contradiction lies: there is a lot of talk about digital sovereignty - but in practice, people continue to buy from Microsoft, AWS or Google. It's not a lack of vision, but a lack of consistency.

This requires a clear strategy that makes open source and sovereign solutions mandatory. At the same time, measurable targets must make progress verifiable - such as a minimum share of 25 % open source in public IT projects by 2030 with the long-term goal of 100 % in 10 years.

The EVB-IT regulations are an important first step, but without practical support, implementation will fail in practice. Training and advice for authorities as well as clear guidelines could simplify the procurement process and successfully introduce open source.

„Buy European“ is not an end in itself - it is about value creation and control in Europe. But as long as procurement continues to end up with US providers, digital sovereignty will remain an illusion. An open source priority for all IT procurement would be a decisive step here.

A strategy alone is not enough - it must be underpinned by concrete, verifiable targets. A minimum share of 25 % open source in public IT projects by 2030 and a long-term target of 100 % open source in 10 years would be sensible milestones. A transparent sovereignty index could regularly monitor progress.

The first year of the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization has shown: The direction is right, but there is still a long way to go. The Heinlein Group is ready to support public administration with expertise, solutions and partnerships on the way to a sovereign, secure and future-proof IT landscape.

Because digital sovereignty does not come from announcements, but from consistent action.