Netherlands Tests Linux Desktop to Replace Microsoft Windows

The Dutch government has begun testing a homegrown Linux desktop to replace Microsoft products in public administration.

The project, Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid (DAWO), is built on NixOS, a distribution developed in the Netherlands with no corporate owner. Eight municipalities are running closed pilots through the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG).

The idea gained urgency in early 2025 when US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague cut off the chief prosecutor’s access to Microsoft services and froze accounts. Dutch officials saw this as proof of a long‑feared vulnerability: foreign companies, bound by foreign laws, controlled critical infrastructure.

Victor Gevers, an innovation manager involved in DAWO, explained: “The government project DAWO emerged when those concerns flared up in early 2025.” Members of parliament cited the ICC incident as a direct reason to reduce dependence on US‑hosted cloud services.

Building A European Alternative

DAWO is a full rebuild of the government workplace, covering operating system, office software, collaboration tools, cloud storage, backups, and IT management. Key components include:

• DAWO‑NixOS (Core): operating system layer.
• DAWO‑Cloud: open cloud for government use.
• DAWO‑IAM: identity and access management.
• DAWO‑Sextant: fleet management.
• Mijn Bureau: collaboration and office suite.
• DAWO‑AI: experimental AI component.

The Netherlands is not alone. Denmark moved from Windows to Linux in 2025, followed by France and Switzerland in 2026.

France is developing a hardened NixOS configuration, while Denmark’s road traffic authority has also switched.

Analysts note the risk is not immediate disconnection but long‑term exposure: if foreign governments can restrict access to essential tools, that vulnerability belongs on the risk register.