Bertelsmann Stiftung "Europe"

New position paper: Strengthening citizen participation in Europe through civic tech in the age of AI

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0200

How can citizen participation succeed in Europe amid rising polarization, declining trust, and AI-driven communication? A new position paper by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra explores the role of civic technology – and outlines the political and structural conditions needed to unlock its full potential. The publication “European Civic Technology and Citizen Participation in the Age of AI – A needs perspective” analyzes the needs of citizens, civic tech providers, and public administrations. It highlights a key challenge: digital participation must be accessible and easy to use, while also delivering meaningful political impact.

New Publication: A Guide to the MFF Negotiations

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100

A tight budget and rising demands for spending – talks on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) are heating up. Our guide explains how the EU budget works and what is at stake in the negotiations ahead.

Incubating Integration in the 28th Regime with Regulatory Pilots

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

How to test deeper harmonisation beyond company law The European Commission is set to propose the ‘28th regime’ - a single, opt-in rulebook to help startups scale across borders. But a narrow focus on company law leaves legal barriers to scaling untouched. The Commission should leverage the current political momentum by combining a strong company law core with targeted, time-limited regulatory pilots in areas such as insolvency and labour mobility to test deeper harmonisation.

Paris: Network for Participation & Deliberation in Europe strengthens citizen participation – High-level event sends political signal

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Democratic systems across Europe are under pressure. In this context, the Network for Participation & Deliberation in Europe convened its sixth network meeting in Paris. Over three days, leading experts in participation worked intensively on advancing strategic approaches for effective citizen participation. What makes this network unique is that it consists of the implementers of participation – civil servants and participation professionals from across Europe and from European institutions.

Paris: Network for Participation & Deliberation in Europe strengthens citizen participation – High-level event sends political signal

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Fund or Fumble – How to Make the European Competitiveness Fund Work

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

The European Competitiveness Fund could become the backbone of a more strategic and coherent EU industrial policy. As negotiations intensify, our new policy brief outlines what must be preserved – and refined – to ensure the ECF delivers real impact rather than becoming a diluted compromise.

Ensuring Impact: New Guidelines for Effective Citizen Participation Published

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

With “Ensuring Impact – A Guide to Effective Set-up and Follow-up of Citizen Participation”, the Bertelsmann Stiftung, together with the Federation for Innovation in Democracy Europe (FIDE), publishes a comprehensive guide for designing participation processes that deliver real impact. The publication was developed as part of the New Democracy project and is aimed at public administrations and political decision-makers at the regional, national, and European levels.

Ensuring Impact: New Guidelines for Effective Citizen Participation Published

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:12:57 +0100

EU trade policy: More markets and closer cooperation would deliver moderate growth effects

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

US tariff policy, as well as intensifying competition from China, is dampening economic growth in Germany and many other export-oriented EU economies. In response, the EU is stepping up its efforts to conclude new trade agreements with additional countries and deepen existing agreements. Model calculations commissioned by Bertelsmann Stiftung however only show moderate growth effects overall, even under far-reaching assumptions: if the EU succeeds in concluding new agreements with 26 countries and deepening its existing agreements with 40 countries, German gross domestic product (GDP) could increase by up to 0.7 per cent in the long term. For the EU, the potential GDP growth would amount to slightly more than 0.6 per cent.

Fault lines in democracy  – Towards a new culture of conflict and participation in the age of AI

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Democracy once had it easier. Its global influence is declining, social conflicts are hardening, and trust in state institutions is eroding. Yet citizens are demanding more participation and a stronger sense of belonging. How can democracy respond? To renew democracy, we must address the defining fault lines of our time. In the age of AI, government and society need to cultivate openness towards more cooperation and a new culture of conflict and genuine compromise.

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Bertelsmann Stiftung "Europe"

New position paper: Strengthening citizen participation in Europe through civic tech in the age of AI

New Publication: A Guide to the MFF Negotiations

Incubating Integration in the 28th Regime with Regulatory Pilots

Paris: Network for Participation & Deliberation in Europe strengthens citizen participation – High-level event sends political signal

Paris: Network for Participation & Deliberation in Europe strengthens citizen participation – High-level event sends political signal

Fund or Fumble – How to Make the European Competitiveness Fund Work

Ensuring Impact: New Guidelines for Effective Citizen Participation Published

Ensuring Impact: New Guidelines for Effective Citizen Participation Published

EU trade policy: More markets and closer cooperation would deliver moderate growth effects

Fault lines in democracy – Towards a new culture of conflict and participation in the age of AI

Fault lines in democracy  – Towards a new culture of conflict and participation in the age of AI