There’s a growing interest in European alternatives to US-dominated tech. This is true not only of defense, like Eurofighter Tranche 4 instead of Lockheed Martin F-35, but also for everyday apps in phones and laptops that Europeans use. The main driving force behind this is of course the chaos that the Trump administration has caused at the international scene, turning US policy from white to black. The actions of the Destruction Of Government by Elon, or DOGE have implications not only in the US but globally. Of course there are also other drivers, like the desire for stronger data privacy, aligning with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The balance between “sound” regulation and bureaucratic red tape killing innovation and possibilities is still something that the European union has to master.

Anyway here’s are some possibilities, keeping in mind that the landscape is constantly evolving:

Mail:ProtonMail (Switzerland): Known for its strong encryption and privacy focus.   Many European hosting providers offer email services with GDPR-compliant data handling.

Calendars:Often integrated with mail services like ProtonMail. Open-source options like those within the Nextcloud ecosystem.

Browsers:Opera (Norway): Offers extensive customization and privacy features.  

AI:Europe is investing heavily in AI research. Companies like DeepL (Germany) are making strides in natural language processing.  There are many european AI research initiatives, and open source projects.  

Office Packages: LibreOffice (Germany): A powerful open-source office suite, a strong alternative to Microsoft Office.  Nextcloud (Germany) also offers office suite capabilities.

Alternatives to YouTube: Platforms that use the PeerTube (France) software. PeerTube is a decentralized, federated video platform powered by ActivityPub. This allows for many independant video hosting sites to communicate with eachother.  

Social Media:Mastodon (Germany): A decentralized, open-source social network, offering an alternative to X (formerly Twitter).  The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) launched the official ActivityPub microblogging platform (EU Voice) of the EU institutions, bodies and agencies (EUIs), based on Mastodon, they hade a two year project 2022 to 2024.

Search Engines:Qwant (France): Focuses on privacy, avoiding user tracking. Ecosia (Germany): A search engine that plants trees with its profits. Startpage (Netherlands): Focuses on privacy, and returns google search results, but without the tracking.

Translation:DeepL (Germany): Known for its high-quality translations.

The “best” choice will of course depend on your specific needs and priorities. Open-source software often relies on community support, which can be a strength but also a potential limitation.  European digital sovereignty is an ongoing process, and the tech landscape will continue to evolve.

I have started using Opera and Proton, and those work very well for me. Social media is something I try to avoid, especially X and Facebook. Bluesky is boring and also from the US even if it gives you more control.

I have tried LibreOffice, but my habits using Microsoft Excel are very hard to change. We are after all creatures of habit.

Who Isn’t in Favor of “Free Speech”?
One would think that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world’s leading alliance of public service media organizations (with European members similar to PBS in the US), and the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest, would be among the strongest defenders of free speech. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, upon closer inspection, the EBU’s actions suggest quite the opposite.

Recent news has highlighted the EBU’s attempts to censor three entries in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. Malta is prohibited from using the word “kant,” meaning “song” in Maltese; the Finnish group KAJ is barred from using the Finnish curse word “perkele”; and singer Erika Vikman tells EBU is pressuring her to change her performance. It would seem EBU would preferably heavily discourage her from appearing all together.

It’s crucial to continually reflect on the meaning and global state of free speech. The truth is, “free speech” as a concept is often as vague as any other buzzword. Nowadays, “people’s democratic republics” are less common in Europe than they were after World War II, with Russian, then the Soviet Union’s blessing. Everyone understood the distinction between Western democracies and Eastern European “democracies.” Additionally, there was a gray area, exemplified by Finland and the term “Finlandization.”
A frequently overlooked aspect in today’s global discourse is the difference in starting points for free speech. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has significantly influenced discussions elsewhere. Approved on December 15, 1791, it’s a part of the U.S. Bill of Rights, specifically within the U.S. Historical context reveals it as an amendment intended to severely limit the government’s power to control speech. The Enlightenment-era Americans recognized the limitations of human understanding. Our knowledge is constantly expanding. Therefore, debate must not be censored—not by the state, not by churches, not by anyone. Americans had bitter experiences of life in their former homelands in Europe.
For us in Finland, or then the eastern part of Sweden, the initial steps toward free speech came early by European standards. In Sweden, freedom of the press was established through the Freedom of the Press Act of 1766. In France, the principle of freedom of the press was enshrined in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen during the French Revolution in 1789. Mind you, the French revolution was not a peaceful and bloodless affair, but at times, full terror and speechless authorities.

Today, free speech is a cornerstone, if not the cornerstone, of preserving Western democracies. Therefore, it’s particularly disheartening, though not entirely surprising, to see European public service media leading the charge for censorship. While it’s likely justified by the need for “family-friendly” entertainment, the current media landscape—shaped by the internet and social media, free from state monopolies—fosters a more open climate. Public service media monopolies, or as they are rightfully called the “fourth estate,” are under pressure and have long lost their grip on news dissemination, now struggling with other traditional media in the “fake news” arena. Their strategy to remain relevant seems to heavily rely on entertainment-driven experiences, whether it’s large-scale events like the Eurovision Song Contest or the Olympics, or smaller-scale productions of reality TV shows. Entertainment has become a primary, if not the primary, product for public service media. When public service engages in censorship for its main product, it doesn’t take much to guess their stance on censorship and free speech regarding less prioritized products like “fake news.”

Simultaneous Use of Alcohol and Cannabis (SAM)

International Trends

Internationally, there are significant changes in the legal status of cannabis, or at least discussion on the topic. Since alcohol and cannabis are often used together, this has increased interest in understanding the combination of these substances and their unique role in substance-related harms. This is commonly abbreviated as “SAM” (simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use).

Research shows that individuals who use both alcohol and cannabis have an increased risk of substance-related harms, such as driving under the influence, blackouts, and cognitive problems, compared to those who use only one of the substances. Simultaneous use, in particular, increases the risk of negative consequences.

Statistics on drug use, especially if it is prohibited, are not reliable. Among young adults in the US who drink alcohol, approximately 30% of 19–22-year-olds and 20–25% of 23–30-year-olds reported using alcohol and cannabis simultaneously in the past year. As simultaneous use is increasing among young adults, it is important to understand the patterns, causes, and consequences in order to develop preventive interventions. There is thus a clear need for more research on the simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis. There is also a need for more standardized definitions of simultaneous use and more comprehensive studies of the effects of different cannabinoids (THC and CBD). This is needed, among other things, to develop and improve effective preventive interventions.

Risks of Simultaneous Use

Simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis is associated with unique characteristics, causes, consequences, and psychological processes compared to the use of a single substance. There is a need to examine in more detail the pharmacological, psychological, and social factors that influence this combination.

Studies have shown that simultaneous use does not necessarily lead to higher cannabis consumption compared to cannabis use alone. However, it can increase the risk of sexual assault, especially in social contexts where there are individuals at increased risk of committing such crimes.

The Situation in Finland

In Finland, the connection between alcohol and cannabis use is strong. According to a recent study, over half of those who have tried cannabis at some point in their lives were under the influence of alcohol the first time. Alcohol was also common in later cannabis use situations. In 2022, approximately 300,000 people reported using cannabis in the past 12 months. Of these, 78% reported using alcohol simultaneously, and 27% that they always or most often did so.

Cannabis is the most common illegal drug in Finland. There are approximately 16,000 daily users, and use is most common among 25–34-year-olds. The majority of Finnish cannabis users use it on weekends (65%) and evenings (67%). Common usage situations are parties, social gatherings, games, and hobbies. Almost 45% use cannabis at home, while use in public places is less common.

Approximately one million Finns have tried cannabis at some point. As previously noted, about 300,000 have tried it in the past 12 months. The number of those who report monthly use is 150,000, and 16,000 report using cannabis daily. Cannabis use has increased among young people, especially boys, during the 2010s.

It is possible to get cannabis prescribed by a specialist doctor for certain illnesses, but this is rare in Finland. The view of the risks of trying and using cannabis has become milder in all age groups. At the same time, the use of cannabis and other drugs is less accepted than alcohol, which is often involved in the first drug experiments.

Situation i EU

In the new report from EUDA we can see that survey respondents from reported cannabis as their most frequently used illicit drug — 59 % of them reported use in the last year, followed by MDMA/ecstasy (30 %) and cocaine (29 %). The most common pattern of drug use reported through the survey was “polysubstance” use, the use of two or more psychoactive substances (licit or illicit), simultaneously or sequentially.  The new (Feb 25, 2025) report can be found here. https://www.euda.europa.eu/ewsd2024_en

The Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta) faced a divisive vote on Friday 21^st February 2025 regarding a citizen’s initiative proposing the establishment of supervised drug consumption rooms, also known as safe injection sites. This issue sparked a split within the government coalition and highlighted differing approaches to drug policy.

The citizen’s initiative called for legislative action to enable a pilot program for these facilities. The Parliamentary Committee for Social Affairs and Health, however, recommended against proceeding with the initiative, arguing that Finnish drug policy, traditionally based on prohibition and criminalization, requires careful consideration before implementing such a significant change. The committee also emphasized the need for broader public discourse and ethical assessment of safe injection sites, suggesting that a pilot program would raise numerous complex legal questions. Instead of focusing on safe injection sites, the committee advocated for strengthening existing low-threshold services for drug users and improving treatment for young drug users.

The parliamentary vote reflected the deep divisions on the issue. While the majority of government coalition MPs (excluding the Swedish People’s Party) voted to reject the initiative, there was significant dissent. The Swedish People’s Party, along with the opposition parties; Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Green Party, and the Left Alliance, supported a counter-proposal favoring the initiative. Within the Center Party, also in the opposition, the vote was split, with some members supporting the initiative and others opposing it. Notably, a substantial number of MPs were absent during the vote, indicating the sensitivity and complexity of the issue.

The division in Parliament could be foreseen, as representatives from the SDP, Green Party, and Left Alliance on the Social Affairs and Health Committee had already issued a dissenting opinion in December, advocating for the initiative to move forward. The debate surrounding safe injection sites highlights a fundamental tension between a harm reduction approach, which prioritizes minimizing the negative consequences of drug use, and a more traditional approach focused on abstinence and criminalization.

In conclusion, the vote on the supervised drug consumption rooms initiative revealed a rift within the Finnish government and across party lines. The debate underscored the complex ethical, legal, and social considerations surrounding drug policy. While the initiative was ultimately rejected, the strong support it received, particularly from opposition parties and a small segment of the ruling coalition, suggests that the discussion about harm reduction strategies and alternative approaches to drug policy is far from over in Finland.

The issue of safe injection sites remains a point of contention, demonstrating the ongoing struggle to balance public health concerns with traditional drug policy principles. The call for broader public debate and ethical assessment suggests that future policy decisions in this area will need to consider diverse perspectives and address the complex challenges associated with drug use.

I love coffee,  especially espresso, and can drink quite many during any day, given the opportunity. Coffee is uniting people as the Estonian artist Tommy Cash (or TOMM¥ €A$H) said in his introduction to the performance at Eesti laul 2025 on Saturday, February 15th. I sincerely hope he will do well in the Eurovision song contest (ESC). Taking time to enjoy music was a much needed break during the weekend that otherwise did not serve any treats for Europe.

I am thinking of the Munich Security conference (MSC), where there seemed to be a lack of coffee judging from the reports. Not too much unity and joy coming out from all the talking judging from another Estonian, Kaja Kallas the head of European Union’s foreign policy.

On Friday Kaja Kallas commented on a speech by U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security conference, and said it felt as if the United States was ‘trying to pick a fight’ with Europe. “Listening to that speech, they try to pick a fight with us and we don’t want to a pick a fight with our friends.”

The reporting has, as far as I have seen, been quite worrisome and even alarmist.  A fair part of that can probably be attributed to the needs of media to create headlines that gets “klicks”. Worrying and negative news are what you need for klicks. And there had been reports about more sincere talks behind closed doors, than can be judged for the speeches delivered.

But even given this bias, the news were not that great. Exactly how an alliance shattered by insecurity and lack of trust between its members is a strong opening bid for negotiations is a mystery. It takes the art of the deal to see that.

As a person who cherishes the good relations between  we  and Europe, I surely needed a lot of coffee to make it through this weekend. Mr Trump seems to be oscillating between moments of success and chaos, and now the politics of not only US but also the world is also following this dance. MSC seems to have been the latter. However, we have seen that the movements are fast and changing. Actually, like in the dance by Tommy Cash in his performance.