Europe

Europe is more than just a political institution or a geographical area. It is a historically evolved area of thought, culture and experience in which questions of democracy, freedom, the rule of law and coexistence are constantly being raised anew. The keyword „Europe“ therefore brings together contributions that deal with European ideas, developments and conflicts - from European politics and legislation to institutional decisions of the EU and biographical portraits of people who have shaped, criticized or developed Europe. The aim is not to reduce Europe to buzzwords or daily political events, but to make connections visible, classify backgrounds and juxtapose different perspectives. Europe does not appear here as a finished project, but as an open process that needs to be understood, discussed and shaped.

Ulrike Guérot: A European between idea, university and public discourse

by
Ulrike Guérot and Europe

There are people whose thoughts you like to follow not because you agree with them on everything, but because they make an effort to penetrate things. For me, Ulrike Guérot is one of these voices. I have been watching her lectures for several years now - not regularly, not ritualized, but when I come across a topic that I feel is worth listening to more closely. What strikes me is that her arguments are calm, structured and largely non-ideological.

This does not make her lectures spectacular in the media sense, but they are sustainable. You can listen to her for a long time without getting the feeling that she is trying to sell a ready-made world view. Especially at a time when political debates are often morally charged or emotionally truncated, this way of speaking seems almost old-fashioned. In the best sense of the word.

Read more

Game theory explains 25 years of geopolitics: How Europe lost its strategic role

by
Game theory explains 25 years of geopolitics

For many, game theory sounds like dry mathematics, like formulas, like something that only plays a role in lectures or business games. In reality, however, it is an ancient thinking tool that existed long before its academic formalization. Diplomats used it, commanders used it, captains of industry used it - long before it was even called that. In the end, it is nothing more than a sober question:

„When several players have to make decisions in an uncertain situation - what options do they have and what are the consequences?“

This kind of thinking has become surprisingly rare today. Instead of analyzing alternatives, much is narrowed down to moral narratives or spontaneous interpretations. Yet in geopolitical issues in particular, a clear analysis of the possibilities would be the foundation of any mature policy. It is precisely this old craft that I would like to take up again in this article.

Read more

The EU's 28th regime: The silent restructuring of the European Economic Area?

by
28th EU regime

At the moment, half of Europe is talking about the so-called „28th regime“. Many are wondering what this is actually supposed to be. A new state? A secret EU project? Or just another attempt to modernize the single market? In fact, it is a concept that sounds grand, but in essence describes an additional form of company that is supposed to be optional and purely voluntary. The name „28th regime“ comes from the fact that there would be another set of rules in addition to the 27 national legal systems - like an additional tool in an already full toolbox.

The idea behind it did not come about overnight. Start-ups, investors and some SMEs have been complaining for years that the EU consists of 27 very different economic areas. Depending on which country you start up in, you have to follow different rules: different founding formalities, different liability rules, different requirements for employee participation or raising capital. This is an obstacle for international tech companies and often a deterrent for founders. This is precisely where the EU institutions want to start.

Read more

CLOUD Act, data sovereignty and Switzerland: a turning point for European IT strategies?

by
What the Swiss cloud resolution means for Europe

Something happened in Switzerland in mid-November that hardly anyone expected in this form: The country's data protection commissioners passed a clear, almost historic resolution. The message behind it is simple - and at the same time highly controversial: public authorities should no longer outsource their most sensitive data to international cloud services such as Microsoft 365 without hesitation. Why is that?

Read more

The new EU censorship laws: What Chatcontrol, DSA, EMFA and the AI Act mean

by
EU censorship laws

In an increasingly digitalized world, we spend a lot of time online: Chatting, shopping, working, informing ourselves. At the same time, the rules on how content is shared, moderated or controlled are changing. The Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the planned Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse (CSAR, often referred to as „chat control“) and the AI Act are key pieces of legislation proposed by the European Union (EU) to regulate the digital environment.

These regulations may seem far away at first glance - but they have an impact on you as a private individual as well as on small and medium-sized companies. This article will guide you step by step: from the question „What is planned here?“ to the background and timelines to the change of perspective: What does this mean for you in everyday life?

Read more

The EU's digital ID: linking, control and risks in everyday life

by
Digital ID of the EU

When you hear about „digital ID“, „European identity wallet“ or „EUDI wallet“, it sounds abstract at first - almost like another complicated IT project from Brussels. Many people have never consciously heard of „eIDAS 2.0“, the underlying EU regulations. And yet this project will affect almost every citizen of the European Union in the long term.

In essence, it is about something that we have been carrying around with us on paper or as a plastic card in our everyday lives for decades: official proof of our identity. Until now, we have had various documents - ID card, driver's license, health insurance card, tax ID, account login, insurance number. Each system works separately, each with its own processes, often confusing and sometimes annoying.

The EU is now pursuing the goal of merging these scattered areas of identity into a standardized digital solution.

Read more

The digital euro is coming - what it means, what it must not do and what it could do

by
The digital euro is coming

Public money is more than just a medium of exchange - it is a symbol of state sovereignty, a guarantor of economic order and a means for all citizens to participate freely in economic life. For centuries, cash was an expression of this freedom: anonymous, unconditionally usable, valid everywhere. With the gradual replacement of cash by digital payment methods, a central question is now being posed anew: who will control the money of the future - and under what conditions?

Read more

↑