"Inspiring people. Shaping the future. Participating in an globalized world." This motto summarizes the work carried out by the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Effective participation in society requires both the ability to act and the...

Future EU Cohesion Policy is likely to hand more decision-making over to member states with the European Commission’s plans of merging multiple funds delivered to member states by national envelopes. Such a delivery model for...

Once again, the world’s attention turns to Germany as the country undergoes national elections. For this analysis, we examined eupinions survey data from 2017, 2021, and 2024, drawing on EU-wide surveys of over 9,000 citizens –...

Europe intends to rapidly and strongly increase its defense spending. It should do so without risking Europe’s fiscal sustainability and financial stability at a time of great danger. We argue that the Commission’s current plan to...

More than 80% of Europe’s digital technologies and infrastructures are imported. 70% of foundational AI models used globally originate in the United States. Meanwhile, European companies account for just 7% of global research...

Recognizing the European Union‘s shortcomings in translating scientific research into commercially viable deep-tech solutions, this report introduces a comprehensive index designed to evaluate the regional strengths and challenges...

Improved EU-UK relations could strengthen European unity in a time of geopolitical upheaval and shifting alliances. Yet realizing this opportunity at the first joint Summit in 2025 is far from a done deal.

This study based on data from the 2023 Religion Monitor sheds light on the role that religion plays in political polarization in the United States. The findings show that a specific form of “defensive religiosity” – which is...