Bertelsmann Foundation

Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends, partners and colleagues!

The transatlantic partnership stands at a crossroads, shaped by generational divides, shifting priorities, and the political dynamics of 2024, as revealed in a recent EUpinions survey by Bertelsmann Stiftung. While older generations in both Europe (63%) and the U.S. (59%) see each other as key allies, younger generations are less convinced, with only 38% of Europeans and 34% of Americans sharing this view. Global developments are hitting closer to home and Europeans are taking notice. A striking 63% of Europeans now believe it's time "to go our own way" - a dramatic shift from just 25% in 2017. Priorities also differ across the Atlantic: Europeans rank securing peace as the EU’s top task (20%), while Americans focus on protecting civil liberties (23%), though both agree on the importance of migration management. As the 2024 U.S. election adds strain to EU-U.S. ties, new leaders must navigate this pivotal moment carefully, or risk long-term consequences for the partnership. At the same time, Europe’s call for a stronger global role (73% of EU citizens) highlights its readiness to lead, even as NATO remains a cornerstone of security, with 64% of Europeans and 59% of Americans agreeing on its protective role. Strengthening this bond will require addressing these challenges and fostering unity across generations and priorities. Read the full report results here: https://lnkd.in/e89nyEdT

In 1783, Sweden became one of the first countries to recognize America's independence. Over two centuries later, this historic bond continues to thrive. Curious about the strong Sweden-US relationship? Dive deeper into this unique bilateral connection with the new Sweden-US Module on the Transatlantic Periscope, curated by our partner Free World Forum. https://lnkd.in/e7dEReSK

Leadership in Action, a video series in collaboration with the Aspen Ministers Forum, The Aspen Institute, concludes Season 3 with a special episode featuring Tzipi Livni, former Foreign Minister of Israel and a leading voice for peace. Filmed before the recent conflict in Gaza, this episode focuses on her role in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Discover insights into the diplomacy, challenges, and leadership needed for conflict resolution. Catch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eueAh6c5 #GlobalLeadership #ConflictResolution #Diplomacy

The United States has successfully completed the country’s 60th general election in its democratic history, but America remains in critical condition.  Read our latest post election blogpost by Tony Silberfeld https://lnkd.in/eSAXbxsR

What could a second Trump administration mean for Europe and Germany? Read the analysis by our Bertelsmann Stiftung colleagues Brandon Bohrn and Peter Walkenhorst covering potential impacts on the transatlantic relations, security, trade and more: https://lnkd.in/eb6tFjWe

In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, we are proud to release our latest documentary episode, Still Here, as part of the Foundation’s six-episode series highlighting stories of democratic and societal resilience in cities across Europe and the United States. In Still Here, we explore stories of preserving language, culture and history in one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States. Set in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, we delve deep into work of civil society organizations that provide employment, healthcare and voter access services to an incredible array of tribal nations from across Minnesota, and get to know the remarkable people of the Native American Community Development Institute who make it all work. This series has been created in collaboration with the GMF Cities program, and features a wide range of innovations in democracy from Oklahoma City (Oklahoma), Athens (Greece), Lexington (Kentucky), Vienna (Austria), Barcelona (Spain), and now Minneapolis (Minnesota). To watch the episode visit www.bfnadocs.org.

Just 5 days until Election Day! This year, we've traveled across the American East Coast, Midwest, South, Southwest, and Northeast, exploring the key dynamics shaping the 2024 United States Elections. Now, we’re sharing our final pre-election dispatch on the eve of the big day. Samuel George, PhD talks about the five critical things to watch on Election Day and through the night as the results come in.

Rethinking the Winning Column In the history of the United States, the popular vote winner has lost the presidential election five times. With the Electoral College enshrined in the Constitution, many are questioning whether it’s time for reform. Explore our latest election infographic.

In the final episode of our special election podcast Beyond the Ballot, host Courtney Flynn Martino speaks with Dr. Joshua Meddaugh, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences at Clayton State University, about the changing demographics and its impact on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. They explore how demographic shifts over the last 50 years have transformed Georgia from a blue state to red and now a crucial purple state. Dr. Meddaugh highlights how race, religion, and identity have influenced this evolution and explains the decisive role suburban voters in a few key neighborhoods will play in the state's election outcome. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e6JvjMKr or whereever you get your #podcasts.