Meta-Information

Author: Digital Society
Source: Position Paper Digital Sovereignty
Publication Date: 11.2025
Reading Time of Summary: 3 minutes

Executive Summary

The Digital Society is calling for a radical shift in Swiss digital policy: Away from Microsoft 365 and Amazon Cloud, toward sovereign IT solutions. With 1.1 billion francs spent on Microsoft licenses over the past 10 years, the public sector has entered into a dangerous dependency that could lead to complete inability to act in crisis situations. Switzerland urgently needs its own, controllable digital infrastructure – not as a technical gimmick, but as a fundamental prerequisite for state sovereignty in the 21st century.

Critical Key Questions

How did we reach a point where a neutral country like Switzerland has completely placed its critical digital infrastructure in the hands of foreign corporations?
Where is the boundary between pragmatic use of global tech solutions and negligent abandonment of state control?
What innovation opportunities arise for the Swiss tech sector if the state consistently relies on open source and local providers?

Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives

Short-term (1 year):
Resistance from administration and politics against migration plans. First pilot projects with open-source alternatives start. Microsoft intensifies lobbying activities.

Medium-term (5 years):
Either successful partial migration to sovereign solutions or further cementing of Big Tech dependency through long-term contracts. European cooperations could emerge.

Long-term (10-20 years):
Two scenarios: Switzerland as pioneer of digital sovereignty with its own cloud infrastructure or complete digital colonization with loss of data sovereignty and vulnerability to blackmail in geopolitical conflicts.

Main Summary

Core Theme & Context

The Digital Society is sounding the alarm: Switzerland's digital infrastructure has deteriorated into critical dependency on US technology corporations. The position paper demands a strategic course change to regain digital sovereignty – a topic that gains additional urgency through the warnings of the Swiss Army Chief.

Key Facts & Figures

1.1 billion francs for Microsoft licenses in 10 years by the public sector
Critical infrastructure completely dependent on foreign tech corporations
Microsoft blocking against International Criminal Court as warning signal
Open-source principle as central demand for all public IT procurement
Skills shortage in key technologies threatens implementation

Stakeholders & Affected Parties

Public administration at all levels (federal, cantonal, municipal)
Swiss IT industry as potential beneficiaries of a sovereignty strategy
Citizens whose data is stored with foreign corporations
Military and security authorities with particularly sensitive data holdings

Opportunities & Risks

Opportunities:

Strengthening of local IT economy
Independence from geopolitical tensions
Data protection according to Swiss standards
Innovation boost through open-source development

Risks:

Migration complexity and costs
Resistance from established providers
Lack of skilled workers for implementation
Possible functional limitations during transition phase

Action Relevance

Decision-makers must act now, before dependencies become further entrenched. Specifically, this means:

Immediate stop of new Microsoft 365 rollouts, as also demanded by the Army Chief
Development of a migration strategy toward sovereign solutions
Investments in training and promotion of IT specialists
Adjustment of procurement guidelines with sovereignty criteria

Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking

✅ 1.1 billion francs Microsoft expenditure verified
✅ Microsoft blocking against ICC documented
⚠️ Concrete implementation timelines missing in position paper
⚠️ Cost estimates for migration not specified

Source Directory

Primary Source:
Position Paper Digital Sovereignty – Digital Society

Supplementary Sources:

Swiss Army Chief Demands Digital Sovereignty – Clarus News
Digital Sovereignty at Risk: Army Chief Warns – Clarus News

Verification Status: ✅ Facts verified on 08.11.2025