Euro-Office 1.0 launches as EU sovereignty play, but faces open-source backlash

Euro-Office 1.0, released on June 9, 2026, is a new open-source, cloud-based office suite positioned as a cornerstone of EU digital sovereignty. It is not a standalone application but an integration component that requires a platform like Nextcloud Hub, Proton Docs, or OpenProject for storage, navigation, and sharing. A coalition of EU firms—Nextcloud, Ionos, and others—champion it to let European organizations host their office suite on EU infrastructure under EU law, while offering a familiar Microsoft Office-like experience via a ribbon UI. The core editor works, real-time collaboration is functional, but configuration is fiddly, and the release feels more like a tech preview than a finished product. The author recommends ready-to-go packages like Nextcloud Hub 26 Spring or Ionos’ Nextcloud Workspace for most users.

The launch is marred by open-source infighting. The Document Foundation, steward of LibreOffice, accuses Euro-Office of reinforcing Microsoft’s document lock-in by prioritizing .docx and .xlsx formats, arguing it undermines true open standards. Meanwhile, Euro-Office is built on a fork of OnlyOffice’s AGPLv3-licensed core. Initially, Ascensio System SIA (OnlyOffice’s vendor) claimed the fork violated licensing terms, but AGPL co-author Bradley Kuhn sided with Euro-Office’s compliance. Despite the political friction, the project aims to deliver a genuinely European-controlled alternative, though it remains early-stage and unsuitable for production without significant integration effort.