Beatriz Duarte is a student at Université Libre de Bruxelles and Luiss University, and winner of the TEPSA Student Contest 2021 at the Postgraduate level. Beatriz’s brief reminds us that the EU needs to continue to speed up its digital transition, without leaving no one behind. Her recommendations reveal the importance of a local-based response to the digital divide.

Abstract:

The European Union is taking unprecedented measures to accelerate the digital transition, expanding it to every realm of our lives. This policy brief draws a comparison between digitalisation and the world-wide phenomenon, globalisation, by stating that for the first to be fair and equal, it must be based on a solidarity approach, and not leave anyone behind. Secondly, this brief presents two local-based policy recommendations to digitalisation: the creation of an EU Cross-boarders Digital Initiative and the creation of an EU Intergenerational Dialogue Initiative on Digital Skills.