In the summer of 2025, Denmark’s government put forward a major policy change in its digital infrastructure: moving away from using Microsoft Office 365, and in part, open-source its operations with LibreOffice. Below is an original account of what this entails, why it matters, how it’s being done, and what the risks and opportunities are.

What’s Changing and What’s Not

• The Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs has committed to replacing Microsoft Office 365 with LibreOffice.

• Earlier reports said that Windows would also be entirely swapped-out for Linux, but those reports have since been corrected: Windows will remain in use on many devices for now.

• For LibreOffice, the adoption is being phased: about half of the ministry’s employees will begin using LibreOffice (and possibly Linux in some instances) in the summer months; the rest are expected to transition by autumn.

Why Denmark Is Making This Move

A primary driver is the concern over reliance on large foreign tech companies, especially suppliers based outside Europe. By reducing dependency on proprietary software controlled by corporations abroad, Denmark aims to gain more control over its data, security, and updates.

Proprietary software comes with licensing fees, recurring costs, and often tied contracts. Adopting open-source alternatives like LibreOffice can potentially reduce those long-term expenditures.

Open-source software tends to allow more auditability, quicker patching, and the ability to adapt tools or software behavior to specific local or regulatory requirements.

Implementation Plan & Timeline

“Full” here is understood in the scope of office productivity tools (word processing, spreadsheets, slides, etc.), not necessarily replacing all legacy systems or moving everything off Windows.

Challenges & Concerns

While the vision is ambitious, there are several hurdles:

1. Compatibility and Legacy Dependencies Documents, macros, workflows have often been built assuming Microsoft formats. Converting them or ensuring fidelity under LibreOffice can be labor-intensive. Some features may not map perfectly.

2. User Training & Acceptance Staff accustomed to Office 365 will need training. Resistance is natural, particularly for tasks or integrations that were seamless under the old tools.

3. Technical Support & Reliability Ensuring that LibreOffice (and related open-source tools) meet all practical needs, have stable support, and offer good performance. Any downtime, formatting bugs or lost features might slow adoption.

4. Potential for Rollback Because the transition involves risk, there are acknowledgements from officials that if serious problems occur, reintegration of Microsoft tools might be necessary.

Current Status & What Has Happened Already

• As of mid-2025, the migration has begun: some employees are already using LibreOffice instead of Office 365.

• The claim that all government desktops will be Linux-based has been scaled back; the government has clarified it is not abandoning Windows entirely at this point.

• Municipalities like Copenhagen and Aarhus are exploring or initiating similar transitions away from Microsoft products.

Potential Benefits

• Greater control over data, software, and digital infrastructure. Being less dependent on external vendors might help Denmark react faster to threats or regulatory changes.

• Cost savings over time, especially license fees, cloud-service costs, and possibly hardware or maintenance savings.

• Transparency & adaptability inherent in open-source tools may allow customing software to national needs (for language, regulations, workflows).

• Setting a precedent: such a move from a European government may encourage other nations to evaluate their software sovereignty more carefully.

What This Doesn’t (Yet) Mean

• It doesn’t mean that all computers in Denmark will run Linux. Windows remains in many cases.

• It doesn’t mean existing software integrations tied deeply to Microsoft’s cloud or platform will immediately be replaced or deprecated. Some will remain, at least during the transition.

• It doesn’t mean Office-file compatibility will always be perfect; some compromises or adjustments are almost inevitable.

Implications & What to Watch

• How smooth the user onboarding is: feedback from employees about productivity, usability, conversion issues.

• Whether any security or operational issues emerge (data loss, document corruption, compatibility failures).

• The fiscal side: actual savings vs one-time migration costs (training, conversion, support).

• Whether Denmark extends this strategy beyond office productivity tools (e.g. cloud services, server infrastructure).

• How this change influences policy and public-sector norms in Europe re: digital sovereignty and open source.

Conclusion

Denmark’s decision to replace Microsoft Office 365 with LibreOffice marks a meaningful turn towards control, independence, and preservation of public digital infrastructure. It reflects deep concerns about dependency, security, and cost. The transition is significant, but it is careful: it’s being done in phases, with clarifications about what is, and what is not, being replaced (notably Windows). The success of this project will depend on handling compatibility, training, support, and ensuring that disruptions are minimized. If Denmark pulls this off smoothly, it could become a compelling model for other nations seeking more autonomy in their digital policy and software stack.