Twelve million Syrians need humanitarian aid every day, a sombre figure that conceals much suffering and high costs. Europe bears 80% of those costs. The financial aid planned for 2020/2021 is not enough. The EU is mobilising donations and counting on civil society. But to stop the suffering, Brussels must take a stronger stance politically.

"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?

For the first time, the latest instalment of the #BarTalk series took place online. The event was organized as part of "Repair and Prepare: Strengthening Europe", a joint project of the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Jacques Delors Centre. 14 experts on banking and financial markets discussed the impact of the corona crisis on the stability of the European banking system.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has repeatedly been the focus of debate: The background are low interest rates, bond purchase programmes and other unusual measures. However, our new study shows that the ECB's monetary policy during the euro crisis has not only helped stabilise the common currency but also led to more structural reforms.

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?

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed major challenges for Europe and shed new light on some areas of daily life. What is really important to us? Are people in systemic professions adequately paid? Can we currently think about sustainability and digitisation, or is it primarily important to preserve jobs and economic power? In a virtual conference organised by the "Europe's Future" programme and the OECD-hosted "High Level Expert Group on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress" (HLEG), members of the HLEG and other experts came together to discuss well-being indicators and their relevance in the crisis. Amongst others, Nobel Laureate Stiglitz and State Secretaries Schmidt and Kastrop participated. 200 attendees from all over the world followed the event.

Covid-19 has put a huge burden on the economy. So far banks have weathered the storm. But will they withstand a prolonged economic downturn, or will they end up worse than after the Great Financial Crisis? A new study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung in cooperation with the Jacques Delors Centre investigates the stability of banking systems in the euro zone.

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.”

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.

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.