Europe’s transition towards climate neutrality by 2050 requires major shifts in the structure of our economy and society – and wide societal backing. This paper analyses what kind of EU climate policy would meet with broad social approval and formulates corresponding recommendations.

How did political parties address today’s complex challenges in their European Parliament election programmes and electoral campaigns – and how do they differ in doing so? Which topics dominated the debates? How did the results affect the balance of power in the European Parliament and other EU institutions? What will the policy implications be? This report answers these questions by focusing on a number of key member states in a comparative perspective and – in the wake of the surge of the far right and anti-transformation tendencies – discusses strategies to increase the importance of the EU elections and strengthen the democratic, unifying and forward-facing foundation of the EU itself.

The industrial heartlands have become central to the political and policy future of advanced economies. There is a political battle over who can speak for the communities of the industrial heartlands; and who can offer a new prosperity for areas that have been marked by the social, economic and cultural effects of deindustrialisation. Russia’s war …

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How can Germany use artificial intelligence in business, education, the healthcare sector, government and administration in such a way that it is actually useful?

In his paper, Circle of Friends member Patrick Diamond summarises and contextualises the main arguments discussed during the Progressive Governance Stockholm Seminar in 2023.

Democratic negotiation processes in the course of the energy transition and transformation.

In his new paper, John Austin delves into the global rise of nationalist and anti-democratic sentiments, particularly in economically declining industrial heartland communities in Europe and the United States. Based on the learnings from the Industrial Heartlands and Democracy Study Tour in November 2023, the paper outlines the reasons behind people’s dissatisfaction and anger. Factors such as economic decline, geographic inequality, social alienation, and political disillusionment emphasize the urgent need for leaders to understand the underlying emotions and experiences driving these anti-democratic sentiments.

How can we, economically and socially, revitalize former industrial heartland regions while promoting a green transition? This question sat at the heart of our Industrial Heartlands and Democracy Study Tour held in November 2023, which brought together officials and economic change-makers from the US Midwest for a transatlantic exchange with their European peers.