France and Germany Join Forces with Mistral AI and SAP SE to Launch a Sovereign AI for Public Administration

Press release 29/2025

In a strategic move to bolster European digital sovereignty and transform public administration, the governments of France and Germany announce today their intention to establish a strategic public-private partnership with Mistral AI and SAP SE. This collaboration aims to deploy AI native solutions to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness of public services.

The partnership will focus on four core pillars:

• Intelligent, sovereign ERP: Co-deliver a sovereign ERP platform with embedded AI, meeting the specific requirements of French and German administrations.
• AI-Augmented Financial Management: Automate critical financial workflows, including invoice classification, audit checks, using advanced AI.
• Digital Agents for Public Services: Develop decision-support and compliance agents for civil servants; generative agents for drafting, scenario simulation and budget justification; and citizen-facing agents for eligibility checks and form guidance.
• Joint Training and Innovation Capacity: Establish joint AI-ERP innovation labs, build hybrid workforce skills, and ensure explainability, auditability and traceability of AI systems.

A Franco-German EDIC Board for Strong, United Governance

To ensure the success and sustainability of this partnership, France and Germany will jointly convene a dedicated Franco-German European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) Board. Chaired by the relevant Ministers of both countries, the Board will steer the cooperation, coordinate contributions from Mistral AI and SAP, and ensure alignment with national and European objectives. This governance structure guarantees coherence, interoperability, and long-term sustainability, fully integrated within the European digital ecosystem. This partnership is conceived as an ecosystem-oriented framework, open to additional European providers offering sovereign, interoperable and trustworthy digital solutions. It aims to foster a broader European cooperation landscape that encourages complementary contributions in line with national and European sovereignty objectives.

Timeline and next steps

By mid-2026, France, Germany, Mistral AI, and SAP will formalize their commitment through the signing of a binding Framework Agreement. This foundational document will define the governance structure, scope of cooperation, and financing mechanisms. Selected high-impact use cases will be deployed in administrations between 2026 and 2030.

For the Government of the French Republic:

Roland Lescure, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energetical and Digital Sovereignty: “With this French-German partnership alongside Mistral AI and SAP, we are strengthening our digital sovereignty and building a more efficient, more resilient State. Bringing European AI into our public administrations means reclaiming control over our technological future and asserting a Europe that innovates and protects”.

Anne Le Hénanff, Delegated Minister for AI and Digital Affairs: “This strategic partnership is an important step for our digital sovereignty and for our two countries capacity to shape their own technological future. Bringing European AI into our public administrations is not just a technological upgrade, it is a strategic shift. With this announcement, we are opening a new chapter, one where Europe takes the lead, builds its own trusted solutions, and ensures that our values remain at the heart of the digital state”.

David Amiel, Delegated Minister for the Civil Service and State reform: “Over 80% of the digital tools we rely on are designed, operated or controlled outside of Europe: it is not just a technical issue, it is a major concern for our European digital autonomy. This unprecedented French and German-led public-private partnership is a major step towards more resilient public infrastructures, and more efficient public administrations in the age of AI. It is also an opportunity to promote AI-native sovereign solutions on a European scale through public procurement”.

For the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany:

Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation: “A key component of digital sovereignty is a modern administration that is citizen-centered, fast, and efficient. We want to rely on European digital solutions and therefore welcome the partnership between SAP and Mistral. It shows that we in Europe have the necessary skills to build a sovereign digital administration. At the same time, we are enabling our European companies to grow and strengthen their overall competitiveness”.

For Mistral AI:

Arthur MENSCH, co-founder & CEO: “Europe must own its AI future, from the infrastructure to the technology. This French-German partnership with SAP and Mistral AI demonstrates France and Germany's leadership in digital sovereignty. Together, they will ensure that the value generated by AI benefits European citizens and remains under European control, fostering innovation and protecting strategic interests”.

For SAP SE:

Christian KLEIN, CEO:“Europe's competitiveness depends on its ability to innovate without compromise. This Franco-German partnership with SAP and Mistral AI shows how Europe can lead in AI while still providing full technological sovereignty. Together, we're building the trusted, digital foundation to unlock new business value on European terms”.