Publication Date: 11/12/2025
Author: sz-dossier.de
Source: SZ Dossier - Germany Stack: The Open Source Association Demands Clarity
Publication Date: 11/12/2025
Reading Time of Summary: 3 minutes
Executive Summary
The Open Source Business Alliance (OSBA) is demanding binding requirements for open source technologies in the planned Germany Stack. Without clear open source prioritization, this major digital sovereignty project threatens to cement existing tech dependencies rather than dissolve them. The demand for open standards and interfaces marks a critical turning point in German digital policy – between technological self-determination and continued dependence on proprietary systems.
Critical Key Questions
- How can digital sovereignty succeed when the state itself relies on proprietary solutions instead of consistently promoting open source?
- What democratic and economic risks arise when critical infrastructures continue to be controlled by a few tech corporations?
- Is the Germany Stack without binding open source requirements more than an expensive modernization project without real sovereignty gains?
Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives
Short-term (1 year):
Political course-setting between open source prioritization or continuation of the status quo. Initial pilot projects will show whether the Germany Stack actually reduces dependencies or merely modernizes them.
Medium-term (5 years):
With a consistent open source strategy, German and European alternatives to US platforms emerge. Without clear guidelines, dependence on Microsoft, AWS, and Google solidifies in modernized form.
Long-term (10-20 years):
Germany either becomes a pioneer of sovereign digital infrastructure in Europe or misses the connection to a multipolar tech world order in which China and the USA set the standards.
Main Summary
Core Topic & Context
The OSBA criticizes the unclear requirements for the Germany Stack, a central building block of German digital strategy. The project is intended to strengthen digital sovereignty but threatens to become a paper tiger without binding open source standards.
Most Important Facts & Figures
- OSBA Chairman Peter Ganten demands "clear preference" for open source software
- Demand for open standards and open interfaces as fundamental principle
- Germany Stack as national major project for digital transformation
- Criticism: Project could reinforce existing dependencies instead of dissolving them
- Goal: Building open alternatives to proprietary systems
Stakeholders & Affected Parties
- Federal Government as project leader
- Open Source Business Alliance as critical voice
- Public Administration as primary user
- German IT Industry as potential beneficiaries or losers
- Citizens as end users of government digital services
Opportunities & Risks
Opportunities:
- Technological independence from US corporations
- Strengthening of the German IT industry
- Transparency and traceability of government IT systems
Risks:
- Continuation of vendor lock-in problems
- Waste of public funds without sovereignty gains
- Competitive disadvantages with half-hearted implementation
Action Relevance
Decision-makers must take clear positions now: Either a consistent open source strategy with binding requirements or honest communication about limited sovereignty ambitions. The current lack of clarity harms all stakeholders and delays necessary investment decisions.
Supplementary Research
Related Developments on Digital Sovereignty:
- Sovereign Endpoint Management: Europe's Path to Digital Autonomy
- Digital Sovereignty: Swiss NGO Demands Liberation from Tech Giants
- On Data and Sovereignty - Analysis
Source Bibliography
Primary Source:
Germany Stack: The Open Source Association Demands Clarity – SZ Dossier, 11/12/2025
Supplementary Sources:
- Sovereign Endpoint Management – Clarus News
- Swiss NGO on Digital Sovereignty – Clarus News
- On Data and Sovereignty – Clarus Blog
Verification Status: ✅ Facts checked on 11/12/2025