European Commission Threatens to Cut Off Funding for Free Software

[Rudy]

We are at a critical juncture in the history of free software and digital sovereignty in Europe. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has just issued an alarming warning: the European Commission is considering cutting funding for free software projects through the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative. This could spell the end for countless essential software projects and diminish our chances of developing alternatives to the American tech giants that dominate the market.

Since 2018, the NGI initiative, part of the Horizon Europe program, has funded over four hundred free software projects. These are not just any software projects—they are the backbone of an independent, secure, and innovative digital Europe. Without this funding, many of these projects risk disappearing, leaving us all more vulnerable to foreign technologies and the dangers they bring.

Shockingly, the NGI initiative is not mentioned in the Horizon Europe 2025 plans. This means we are at real risk of losing the crucial funding needed for free software projects to survive and thrive. The FSFE and the European digital civil rights movement EDRi are sounding the alarm and calling on all of us to take action.

The threat is clear: if these plans go forward, our digital sovereignty will be undermined. We will become more dependent on technologies and infrastructures from foreign powers, posing a threat to our privacy, data security, and even the integrity of our democracies.

What can we do? It's up to us to make our voices heard! The FSFE urges us to contact EC President Ursula von der Leyen and the member states to demand that funding for the NGI initiative be maintained and even expanded. Our future depends on the decisions being made right now.

Let's stand together for free software, for digital sovereignty, and for an independent Europe. Reach out to your representatives, share this news with your network, and make sure our voices aren't ignored!

Time is running out, and the future of free software is in our hands. Join the fight before it's too late!

#SaveNGI #FreeSoftware #DigitalSovereignty