On 12 August 2025, BSI President Claudia Plattner told dpa that digital sovereignty would not be achievable for Germany in the foreseeable future. We do not share this assessment. Together with 59 other co-signatories, we have therefore published an open letter.

We make this clear in the letter: Digital sovereignty is possible - if we really want it and drive it forward with determination.

US companies like to paint the picture that Europe cannot catch up with their technological lead anyway - a narrative that primarily protects their market position.

But the reality is different: There are already powerful, open and European alternatives in areas such as cloud, AI, collaboration and more that are being used successfully around the world. What is missing are clear political decisions and targeted investments that systematically promote these technologies.

A strong digital ecosystem in Europe will only emerge if the public sector consistently favours open standards and open source. This is the prerequisite for our security, economic strength and the independent shaping of our future.

We are convinced that digital sovereignty is achievable - we must act now.