"Digital sovereignty" is a declared goal of the German EU Council Presidency. However, for a term that is so central to the current political debate, it is very vague. What exactly can digital sovereignty mean? What are the necessary framework conditions to enable the EU to assert its values and legal concepts in the digital space?

Action on climate change was long slated as a priority for Germany’s six-month presidency of the European Union which starts in July. As European nations struggle to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, is Germany really going to maintain momentum on climate?

We welcome the European Commission’s effort to harmonize AI regulation and create an ecosystem in which algorithmic decision-making systems work for people and become a force for good in society. In this paper we want to share our findings from the “Ethics of Algorithms project” as part of the consultation on the “White Paper on Artificial Intelligence – A European approach to excellence and  trust.”

The WTO is the bedrock of the global trading system. Yet it is increasingly in need of reform. In this web-meeting, we will discuss with Ignacio Garcia Bercero, Chad Down and Elvire Fabry how to take the WTO forward.

A majority of Europeans look positively into their personal future, but negatively into the future of their own country. This optimism paradox runs through all social groups, age groups and countries. At the same time, the strong tendency of Europeans to have a pessimistic view of their own country's future has clear political implications - especially in terms of party preference. This is shown by our new eupinions study "The Optimism Gap". The Belgian versions of this study in Dutch and French were produced with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation.

The spread of the corona virus (COVID-19) causes not only a high number of illnesses and deaths but also enormous economic damage. For many developing countries and emerging markets, whose economic development is fragile irrespective of this pandemic, the economic consequences may be even more serious than for most industrialized nations.

What do Dieselgate and forums that self-organize the internet have in common? And what can we learn from both in terms of shaping digital transformation for the good of society? In the expert opinion paper published today by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, Dr. Carolina Ferro and Dr. Ben Wagner present their research on four case studies and proposal for an improved framework of governance for digitalization at the European level.

Restricted freedom of expression, a gagged press or disempowered constitutional courts – as a rule, these are characteristics of autocracies. But our latest Transformation Index shows that the rule of law and political freedoms are also being eroded in an increasing number of democracies. The effects of the corona pandemic threaten to intensify these developments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic we witness the increased use of rapid executive decisions by governments, based on scientific advice. What role does that leave for citizens participation? An important one. Because good policy solutions depend on scientific expertise and the lived reality of citizens.

In an online editorial, Christian Kastrop, director of the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Europe's Future program, and Thomas Wieser, long-time chairman of the preparatory committee of the European Council of Economic and Finance Ministers and the Eurogroup, argue that the Corona crisis provides an example of how the European Union must change to survive in the 21st century.