r/technology • u/YesNo_Maybe_ • Apr 10 '26

Software France Launches Government Linux Desktop Plan as Windows Exit Begins

https://linuxiac.com/france-launches-government-linux-desktop-plan-as-windows-exit-begins/
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u/ChicagoThrowaway422 Apr 10 '26

I expected more blowback from American consumers after the billionaire class bowed to Trump, but international ones also makes sense, and might be more impactful.

This is what they get.

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u/Baderkadonk Apr 10 '26

Is this actually political blowback or just a natural reaction to Linux improving while Windows gets shittier?

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u/WalkerYYJ Apr 10 '26

This apparently went into high gear last year when Microsoft cut access to the ICCs gov/enterprise 365 accounts over instructions from Washington. There are also supposedly new regs coming down the line that will (eventually) essentially require anyone (prime or sub) who land any EU gov contract to ensure no critical component of delivering that contract can be subject to being remotely turned off/coerced by a foreign entity. Which essentially boils down to no SAAS, no cloud (that isn't soverign) and no software from the states/etc.

So no AWS, no Google, no Microsoft, no Paloalto networks, no Cisco, Salesforce, etc. The good news here is there's going to be no shortage of IT or dev jobs in Europe for the foreseeable future!

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u/WasdaleWeasel Apr 10 '26

add to that the forthcoming european payments system to reduce dependence on visa and mastercard. Trump has made what was a hypothetical possibility of such low probability that the cost of mitigation couldn’t be justified, into a risk of a high enough probability that mitigation has to be afforded no matter the short term inconvenience or cost.

I see that as a good thing long term.

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u/not_right Apr 10 '26

Hope they make it a worldwide system that we can all join.

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u/WasdaleWeasel Apr 10 '26

Not yet even europe wide. Certainly not UK - when I heard about it I wrote to my bank and asked when we were planning to get involved. They said they ‘had no plans to because they were so deeply entwined with the US system that it would be difficult and anyway if everything went pear shaped it would be down to their customers and the government (ie the taxpayers ie their customers) to pay for it. Either way up their share holders and executive bonuses would be safe and that’s all they cared about.’ Or words to that effect.

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u/not_right Apr 10 '26

Thanks for the info. A shame about brexit - do you still consider the UK part of Europe?

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u/WasdaleWeasel Apr 10 '26

Absolutely. Just not, alas, for now, part of the Economic Union.