Internal feedback from European Commission staff confirms they really dislike their sovereign alternative to Microsoft Teams, Element Pro. A report obtained by European media cites one employee who described the tool as “absolute sh*t.” The EU developed the in-house platform to reduce reliance on American tech giants, but the rollout has been met with widespread frustration.

What You Need to Know

The European Commission built a sovereign communication tool to replace Microsoft Teams and strengthen its digital independence. Staff usability complaints, however, highlight the gap between policy goals and daily operational needs. The discontent could slow adoption of other EU-backed digital services and expose friction in the bloc's push for technological sovereignty.

Sovereign Tech Push Backfires

Element Pro was designed by a London-based company of the same name. It was part of a broader EU strategy to cut dependence on non-European software providers. The Executive Commission mandated the switch for internal communications, branding the move as a step toward digital autonomy. Yet the report indicates that many staff find the sovereign tool clunky, poorly integrated and lacking key features found in the US-made original.

The EU, which has long advocated for stronger data protection and less reliance on American cloud services, now faces a practical challenge: employee buy-in. One staffer quoted in the report called the experience “frustrating and counterproductive,” while others cited frequent crashes and a steep learning curve.

Staff Reaction in Detail

According to the report, the most common complaints from European Commission staff center on three areas:

  • Usability: Staff report that the sovereign alternative lacks intuitive navigation and frequent features like persistent chat history.
  • Reliability: Several employees noted that the platform suffers from regular outages and slow performance during peak hours.
  • Integration: The tool does not sync well with other EU internal systems, forcing staff to juggle multiple applications.

The negative feedback has led some departments to supplement the sovereign platform with other messaging apps, undermining the very goal of a unified, secure communication system.

Why This Matters

The European Commission’s struggle with its sovereign alternative to Microsoft Teams has implications far beyond internal IT gripes. It tests the credibility of the EU’s digital sovereignty agenda. If employees reject a homegrown tool because it cannot match the functionality of commercial rivals, the entire policy frame of “strategic autonomy” loses force. The report also signals that without adequate investment in user experience and ongoing support, public sector tech initiatives may fail to win the adoption needed to justify their costs. For other governments and large institutions watching the EU experiment, the lesson is clear: sovereignty must not come at the expense of effectiveness.

The EU, Teams, and the broader sovereign alternative project now face a critical moment. The European Commission must decide whether to invest heavily in improving the tool or risk a permanent split between policy ambition and on-the-ground reality. The report suggests staff really dislike their alternative, and that sentiment, left unaddressed, could erode trust in future EU-led technology efforts.