5/5

The bottom line is straightforward: digital sovereignty initiatives that fail to meet accessibility requirements violate EU law and exclude disabled citizens from digital participation.

This is both a legal compliance issue and a fundamental human rights issue.

The technical expertise to solve this exists within the industry. The legal mandate requiring accessibility exists in French and EU law.

The question is whether industry leaders and open-source communities will prioritize implementation.

Thank you for raising this issue—accessibility must be absolutely central to digital sovereignty discussions from the beginning, not treated as an optional enhancement or addressed after the fact.

The French government's commitment to digital sovereignty will be measured in part by how well it serves all citizens, including those who rely on assistive technologies.

4/5

Microsoft has established precedent for open-source, cross-platform leadership that's directly relevant here. They successfully open-sourced and made fully cross-platform: VS Code which is now a leading code editor on Linux, .NET Core which runs on Linux and powers significant server infrastructure, PowerShell which is now Linux-native, and Windows Terminal which benefits all platforms.

These weren't token gestures—they represent major strategic investments that proved you can open-source core tools and still thrive commercially.

NVDA's Python foundation makes cross-platform porting technically feasible in ways that would be much harder for native C++ applications.

Python is inherently portable across operating systems. The main engineering effort would involve mapping Windows-specific accessibility APIs like UI Automation and IAccessible2 to their Linux equivalents like AT-SPI and macOS accessibility frameworks.

A phased approach starting with core screen reading functionality and gradually adding platform-specific features would be viable.

Concrete steps could include: directly funding Orca development with sustained financial support, sharing detailed accessibility API documentation with GNOME and KDE development teams, supporting NV Access in developing cross-platform NVDA capabilities, and publishing Microsoft's accessibility testing methodologies and best practices for the community.

@elettrona @matrix

3/5

This creates an urgent legal problem for digital sovereignty initiatives. French law through the RGAA (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité) and the EU's European Accessibility Act (EAA) impose strict, enforceable digital accessibility requirements on public sector organizations and key service providers.

These aren't guidelines—they're legal mandates with real enforcement mechanisms and substantial penalties for non-compliance.
France's digital sovereignty migration, including the rollout of platforms like Visio and the broader La Suite numérique to hundreds of thousands of government employees, must meet these accessibility standards from day one.

Any deployment that excludes or marginalizes blind users would violate French and EU law, expose organizations to legal liability, and fundamentally fail the ethical test.

Accessibility cannot be an afterthought or future enhancement—it's a legal requirement that must be built into the foundation of these systems.

@elettrona @matrix

The Linux ecosystem faces measurable accessibility challenges.

Orca, the primary community-driven screen reader for Linux, encounters documented real-world problems that blind users consistently report.

These include inconsistent performance with complex web applications especially those using dynamic JavaScript frameworks, limited and uneven support across different desktop environments like GNOME versus KDE, steeper learning curves due to less centralized and comprehensive documentation compared to commercial alternatives like JAWS or the well-documented NVDA, and a smaller community of blind users sharing practical tips and workarounds.

Organizations like the American Foundation for the Blind have documented that Linux offers a narrower range of mature, professionally-supported accessibility tools compared to Windows or macOS.

This isn't about theoretical capability—it's about the lived experience of blind users who need reliable, well-documented tools with robust community support. The gap is real and significant.

2/5

@elettrona @matrix

You've identified the critical gap in digital sovereignty discussions.

Microsoft has genuinely led accessibility development for decades, and this deserves recognition. Their achievements include Narrator, the built-in Windows screen reader that has improved significantly with each release, industry-leading Office accessibility features including comprehensive alt-text support and keyboard navigation that sets standards for document accessibility, Azure AI vision APIs that have proven revolutionary for blind developers working with computer vision, the Xbox Adaptive Controller which demonstrated hardware accessibility innovation, and Soundscape for 3D audio navigation.

Crucially, NVDA—the free, open-source screen reader that many consider the best Windows screen reader—is developed and maintained by the independent non-profit NV Access, not Microsoft.

However, Microsoft has provided significant financial and technical support to NV Access over the years, and NVDA runs optimally on Windows due to deep integration with Windows accessibility APIs. This represents genuine industry leadership worth acknowledging.

1/5

@mihamarkic

You’re right—my initial claim about Slovenia was....

While Slovenia is part of the EU’s Digital Commons EDIC initiative, a 2025 report shows no systematic open-source adoption and a low Digital Sovereignty Index score (13.33). Participation in EU groups doesn’t equal meaningful domestic action. Thanks for the correction.

@Yoshi @androcat

I hate customer service chatbots as much as everyone else does. We're stuck with them, and I've had to learn how to work with them since there's simply no other option anymore. Many firms have moved to Messenger, WhatsApp, even Telegram for support.

But @androcat, your point about transparency is exactly right, and I just experienced it done well.

My bank recently changed their system to do precisely what you described: the chatbot does a quick FAQ check (and the LLM is actually quite effective at this), and if that doesn't resolve it, immediate escalation to a callback system - no waiting on hold, no runaround. A real human calls you back within minutes.

It respects your time instead of trapping you in conversation loops. The chatbot handles what it's actually good at (matching questions to FAQs), then gets out of the way for human support.

So it CAN work when designed with user needs in mind rather than just cost-cutting. The technology isn't the problem - it's whether companies have the will to implement it properly.

@JohnJBurnsIII

Microsoft Visio = diagramming/flowchart software (desktop application for creating technical drawings, org charts, floor plans, etc.)

France's "Visio" = videoconferencing platform (their sovereign alternative to Zoom/Teams)
This is definitely going to cause confusion, especially in international contexts. The name likely comes from:

@oceane

Yes. That's where local organisations we trust can setup ones like the one I'm using. #Matrix

@androcat @Yoshi

And here's the game-changer: modern FOSS AI chatbots can automate 60-80% of Tier 1 support queries right now.

FOSS LLM CHATBOT SOLUTIONS (Available Today):

1. AnythingLLM (MIT license, fully open)
• Runs ANY local LLM (no cloud/API needed)
• Built-in RAG for documentation
• Desktop + server deployment
• Works on CPU or GPU
• Cost: $0 + hardware

2. LobeChat (Open source)
• Multi-agent design
• Voice interaction (TTS/STT)
• Self-hosted, full privacy
• Multi-device sync

3. Open WebUI
• Lightweight, fast
• Ollama integration
• Perfect for quick helpdesk queries

BACKEND LLMs (Self-Hosted):
• Mistral 7B / MiMo-V2-Flash: Run on consumer hardware
• DeepSeek-V3.2: GPT-level reasoning, fully open (MIT)
• LLaMA 4: Fine-tune on your org's support tickets

THE MAGIC: These can be trained on:
• Linux documentation
• LibreOffice guides
• Your organization's procedures
• Historical support tickets

RESULT:
24/7 instant responses
Context-aware (knows user's history)
Handles common queries automatically
Escalates complex issues to humans
Zero per-query API costs
Complete privacy (no data sent to vendors)

REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE:
Manufacturing company case study showed chatbot deflected 70% of password reset/basic config tickets, freeing support staff for strategic work.

IMPLEMENTATION:
• Phase 1 (3 months): Deploy pilot with AnythingLLM + Mistral 7B
• Phase 2 (12 months): Scale to 60-80% Tier 1 automation
• ROI breakeven: 6-12 months

@androcat You're absolutely right—incremental "did you know" PSAs work. But imagine those delivered 24/7 by a chatbot that learns your patterns and proactively helps. That's available NOW with FOSS tools.

The technology exists. The economics work. Europe's proving it at government scale. The question is: do organizations have the will to invest in long-term self-sufficiency over short-term convenience?

@androcat @Yoshi

1/2

@Yoshi @androcat

Excellent points about hand-holding and support! Here's the reality: the cost of support staff is actually LESS than Microsoft licensing fees —and creates local employment.

THE NUMBERS:
Microsoft E3 (1,000 employees):
• licensing: $432,000/year
• Software Assurance: +$125,000/year
• Hidden costs (license management, sprawl): +$40,000-90,000/year
• TOTAL: $597,000 - $647,000/year

FOSS + Support Staff Alternative:
• Licensing: $0
• Support staff (3-5 FTE @ $66K-90K): $200,000-350,000/year
• Training (one-time): $50,000-100,000
• Infrastructure: $20,000-50,000/year
• TOTAL: $270,000-500,000/year

*NET SAVINGS: $97,000 - $377,000/year

Plus you get:
- 3-5 skilled local jobs created
- Institutional knowledge (not vendor-dependent)
- No license audits or compliance penalties
- Data sovereignty
- Protection from forced upgrades

PROVEN AT SCALE:
French Gendarmerie (103,000+ workstations):
• €2M/year savings in licensing alone
• 20-year migration (2005-2024)
• 97% migrated to open source
• Local expertise built over time

The "hand-holding" cost is actually an investment in self-sufficiency that pays for itself while creating employment.

(1/2)

3/3

HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?

TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows → Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)

Office → OnlyOffice, LibreOffice

Exchange/Teams → Matrix/Element, Nextcloud

SQL Server → PostgreSQL, MariaDB

Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.

THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical

Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)

User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)

Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)

External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)

SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
• Strong political backing at highest levels
• Adequate budget & realistic timeline
• Comprehensive training programs
• Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
• Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)

CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSS

Bottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheels—they're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.

Lyon Register article: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyon_leaving_microsoft/

#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft

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2/3

THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD:

France isn't experimenting—they've been doing this successfully for 20 years. The French Gendarmerie (national police, 100,000+ employees) pioneered this approach:

TIMELINE:
• 2005: Migrated from MS Office to OpenOffice
• 2008: Started Ubuntu desktop deployment (GendBuntu)
• 2014: Majority migration complete
• 2024: 97% of workstations running Linux (103,164 computers!)

FINANCIAL IMPACT:
• €2 million/year in licensing cost savings
• Additional savings from eliminating 4,500 servers
• Total 2004-2008: ~€50 million saved

STRATEGIC INVESTMENT:
In October 2025, France became the FIRST national government to officially partner with the Matrix Foundation—not just using it, but funding its development and participating in strategic decisions. This ensures the protocol evolves to meet European government needs.

So when we say France is "building bundles," they're really packaging, hardening, and supporting mature upstream FOSS (Linux, PostgreSQL, Matrix, etc.) with French hosting, governance, and integration—not reinventing everything from scratch.

GendBuntu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GendBuntu

Gendarmerie case study: https://canonical.com/blog/la-gendarmerie-nationale-upgrades-85000-pcs-to-ubuntu-desktop-edition

#Matrix
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1/3
France's "software bundle" isn't brand-new code—it's a carefully curated stack of existing, mature free and open-source software (FOSS) being integrated and supported at national and municipal levels.

LYON EXAMPLE (June 2025):
Lyon—France's 3rd largest city with 10,000 government employees—is replacing Microsoft's entire stack with proven FOSS:
• Windows → Linux (Ubuntu-based)
• Microsoft Office → OnlyOffice (AGPL license, developed by Latvian firm Ascensio)
• SQL Server → PostgreSQL
• Microsoft 365 → Territoire Numérique Ouvert (TNO) collaboration platform

NATIONAL LEVEL - "La Suite numérique":
France's national digital suite assembles existing open components:
• Tchap: Matrix-based secure messaging (600,000+ public agents using it)
• Grist: Collaborative spreadsheets/databases (Apache 2.0)
• Docs: Real-time collaborative editing (built on BlockNote, developed with Germany)
• Meet: Video conferencing (LiveKit)
• Webinaire: Webinar platform (BigBlueButton)

All hosted in France, all open standards, single sign-on via ProConnect.

Lyon details:

https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/municipality-lyon-moves-towards-open-source

La Suite:
https://lasuite.numerique.gouv.fr/en

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France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.

The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.

The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.

Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.

Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.

https://numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-etat-visio-solution-visioconference-agents-publics/ #France #Greenland #MAGA #DonaldTrump #tarrifs #France #Google #MicrosofTeams

https://lemmus.org/post/19676136

#Greenland #Minneapolis #ICE