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breve 4 days ago

As the US government becomes more erratic and untrustworthy it will encourage large organisations to look for alternatives to American software and services.

The stated intent of the US National Security Strategy is to destabilise and undermine Europe. That is a big incentive for European organisations to replace Windows, Office, and any other Microsoft service.

Linux and LibreOffice usage will grow as a direct consequence of the US government's new antipathy to Europe.

kjellsbells 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Maybe, but imagine you are some EU commissioner, your choices look like this:

1. Fund a home grown alternative. Spend millions of Euros all the while fighting off a barrage of complaints that EUWord doesnt do things, costs too much, is burning taxes and productivity, etc.

2. Spend a nominal sum, but kick the project into the long grass, and hope that the US retreats from its stance back to the norm. "Maybe Word will be ok in 2027 after midterms, right? or 2029? Maybe I stick my fingers in my ears and tough it out"

2. is realistically what most politicians would do. Making tough, really difficult decisions is not something they like to do.

breve 3 days ago | parent [-]

> Spend millions of Euros all the while fighting off a barrage of complaints that EUWord doesnt do things, costs too much, is burning taxes and productivity, etc.

Or just learn from the experience of others:

https://www.heise.de/en/news/Austria-s-armed-forces-switch-t...

This stuff can be done and already has been done in some places.

IAmBroom 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> The stated intent of the US National Security Strategy is to destabilise and undermine Europe.

Cite, please?

retrac 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

The leaked US National Security Strategy docs outline a plan to break up the EU:

> However, a longer, unpublished draft of the document was circulated prior to the official, public strategy. It reportedly goes into more detail about the plans the US has in store for Europe. According to the Washington-based digital media platform Defense One, which claims to have seen the draft, it lists Italy, Austria, Poland and Hungary as countries that the US should "work more with … with the goal of pulling them away" from the European Union.The White House has denied the existence of any such draft.

https://www.dw.com/en/will-trump-pull-italy-austria-poland-h...

Despite the WH claims it seems to have been generally accepted as true already in Europe; Germany's chancellor has commented publicly on it.

breve 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Here it is: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-N...

Discussion:

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/breaking-down-trumps-2025...

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/12/trumps-new-national-sec...

The points on Europe are:

> Our broad policy for Europe should prioritize:

> • Reestablishing conditions of stability within Europe and strategic stability with Russia;

> • Enabling Europe to stand on its own feet and operate as a group of aligned sovereign nations, including by taking primary responsibility for its own defense, without being dominated by any adversarial power;

> • Cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations;

> • Opening European markets to U.S. goods and services and ensuring fair treatment of U.S. workers and businesses;

> • Building up the healthy nations of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe through commercial ties, weapons sales, political collaboration, and cultural and educational exchanges;

> • Ending the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance; and

> • Encouraging Europe to take action to combat mercantilist overcapacity, technological theft, cyber espionage, and other hostile economic practices

This is aligned with what Russia wants. Russia has cultivated Trump as an ally and it appears to be working.

The US is explicit in its intention to meddle with and undermine Europe by "cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations" and celebrates "the growing influence of patriotic European parties" (i.e. authoritarian, right-wing parties like AfD).

The US is explicitly attempting to annex European territory. Trump says the US will take Greenland "one way or the other". The US has been caught running an influence campaign in Greenland trying to promote its secession from Denmark: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j9l08902eo

Given American's new direction, de-Americanising your infrastructure and supply chains makes sense. It's sensible risk reduction.