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EU and OECD countries vary considerably in terms of their pre-crisis socioeconomic conditions. Their capacity for political reform also varies widely. These differences are likely to grow as the COVID-19 crisis continues.

According to a Bertelsmann Stiftung survey, Europeans are much more critical toward Israel than is true of the reverse. There is also a lack of agreement on the issue of Europe’s responsibility for Israel.

With the global race for tech dominance and digital sovereignty set to intensify, we look at what the European Union is doing to strengthen its fledgling but ambitious startup sector. We find that despite bold and proactive new steps, the creation of European unicorns will...

The impact investing market in Germany shows significant growth in 2020. New players with investments across all asset classes and SDGs are energizing the field and want to tackle pressing social issues.

Public goods reflect a complex construct between the principle of solidarity and the principle of subsidiarity in European Union law. This policy brief concisely contextualises public goods in European law and shows that they can act as a point of reference for the...

Ireland has set an example for democratic innovation. The Irish Citizens’ Assembly shows that democracy can be reinvigorated if citizens get a greater say.

“Trust in social and political institutions” is one of nine dimensions underlying the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s empirical measure of social cohesion. Although the studies we have conducted in recent years have shown that social cohesion in Germany as a whole remains strong, an...

Since 2013, the Bertelsmann Stiftung has in numerous studies repeatedly examined the state of social cohesion, while seeking to determine which factors influence it. These efforts have included studies with a cross-national comparative focus, at the national level in Germany...

The topic of social cohesion has gained significantly in importance in recent years, while attracting increasing attention. Over the long term, the megatrends of globalization, digital transformation and demographic change are driving rapid, comprehensive and fundamental...

The third of October 2020 marked the 30th anniversary of German reunification. The debate over whether, and if so at what pace, a Germany that “belongs together is growing together” is just as old. Differences between the federal states of the former West Germany and the...