Public Code with Free Software: Modernising Public Digital Infrastructure

Picture of me giving the presentation at BalCCon 2018

At BalCCon 2018 in Novi Sad (Serbia), I presented the FSFE’s “Public Money, Public Code” campaign and its vision for modernising public digital infrastructure through Free Software. This was during the early, energetic phase of the campaign when we were building momentum across Europe for the principle that software developed with taxpayer money should be made available as Free Software. BalCCon’s technically sophisticated audience with a focus on IT security was an interesting context to discuss how public code can enhance security, transparency, and local technological capacity.

The talk explained why public administrations’ current approach – paying for proprietary software development and then paying again for licenses to use it, while no one else can benefit from the investment – makes no sense. I outlined how Free Software enables code reuse across municipalities and countries, reduces vendor lock-in, improves security through transparency, and turns software from a cost center into a shared resource. The presentation showcased early successes of public code initiatives and addressed common objections about support, security, and feasibility.

For the BalCCon audience, many of whom work with technology in contexts across the Balkans, the message was particularly relevant. The region faces challenges of limited IT budgets, dependency on foreign vendors, and the need to build local technological capacity – all problems that “Public Money, Public Code” directly addresses. The discussion explored how these principles could be adapted to different political and economic contexts while maintaining their core benefits.