Operationalizing European Values in a Digital Age: towards a ‘school of thought’
Written by Max Schulze, published April 24, 2024.
We are at a juncture; digital technology is increasingly integral across every part of our lives, yet we are far from in control of how it will evolve. Europe must build a vision for a digital future that reinforces the values upon which the European Union was founded; and figure out how to operationalize those values in the digital realm1.
Balancing vision, values, and the complex, evolving, global system that makes up the digital realm is no easy task. To do so, policymakers must both come to understand the digital realm and learn how to think about digitalization in relation to their values and goals. Each must build the capacity to understand and think about the system and its impact; its economic and social levers; and, have a common language to debate, model & articulate changes to it that might ensure the realization of a digitalized Europe.
In short, navigating toward Europe’s digital future on Europe’s terms requires a new School of Thought for the Digital Realm that teaches not what to think, but how to think and weigh choices about digitalization so leaders are prepared to do so.
In short, navigating toward Europe’s digital future on Europe’s terms requires a new School of Thought for the Digital Realm that teaches not what to think, but how to think and weigh choices about digitalization so leaders are prepared to do so.
Building on the demand for such training emerging from our various workshops and pilot educational programming with policy makers from across Europe and the European Commission, we propose to create such a school by building a pan-European community for policymakers to develop a shared understanding, language, and mental models with which to shape a sustainable digital realm in-line with European values.
Together, we will:
We aim is to establish this community over a period of 3 years, with the end-goal of institutionalizing a European School of Thought for the Digital Realm at an academic institution:
| Year | Actions | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Series of workshops with active digital policymakers | Establish shared language, mental model |
| Engage influential EU & member state policymakers | ||
| 2 | Community gatherings, annual summit | Revised school of thought, a place to debate |
| Policymakers with advanced digital policy capabilities | ||
| 3 | Annual report, persistent funding, established counter-part in the US for collaboration | Active community, international collaboration, stability of learning |
Simply put, Europe is the only geo-political actor of influence that is biased toward or seriously determined to deliver a values-based digital realm. Europe’s established policies related respecting privacy online have expanded towards digital platforms, technologies, and business models in efforts to ensure digitalization is in-line with sustainability goals and European values.
However, a cohesive, European vision, a ‘leitmotif’, of a digital economy & society which is based on European values is missing. Current policies often address top-level issues, rather than shape an overall digital ecosystem that is built upon European values. Policy and decision-makers from the local level up to the European Commission are self-admittedly unprepared and untrained to make the decisions they must make vis a vis digitalization. The default is to advise from large corporate interests.
Changing this, enabling policymakers and putting Europe in the driver seat is critical for the achievement of Europe’s digitalization goals, and important geopolitically as demonstration of what the policies and practices might help other economies manage their own digital transformation sustainably, responsibly, and in a manner that reinforces values like those underpinning the European Union.
To launch this program, we are looking for broad political support amongst the European Parliament and representatives of the Member States.
Further, we are asking for 250.000 EUR in funding for the execution of the first year plan. This includes 12 workshops of influential policymakers to enhance their capabilities on operationalizing European values in the digital realm, using the existing School of Thought developed by Leitmotiv.