Now more than ever, European institutions need a public, open communications platform that is accessible to all citizens, without the need for an account; an independent network not subject to censorship due to opaque algorithms or political bias. In the talk I will explain why I believe Mastodon / the Fediverse are a far superior communication fit for public institutions, essential services and politicians; I see three key advantages for this open network based on the ActivityPub protocol: openness, agency and reach.