Europe’s Digital Transformation

Francesco Cappelletti | 31st August 2021 | Brussels
digital europe

Europe's digital strategy must harness innovation, maximise personal freedom and protect against new threats, writes Francesco Cappelletti of the European Liberal Forum.

This article is the fifth in a series of eight introducing the Liberal White Book: Europe 2030, the European Liberal Forum’s flagship publication highlighting the challenges that the EU faces and presenting a range of future policy options.  Europe’s future lies in its digital transformation - but this vision seems to be an ever-shifting paradigm. The challenges spawned from technological advancements must be tackled with policy solutions which maximise the benefits for all. Digitalisation without overstepping the limits of the ‘liberal ideal’. Individual freedom and technological advancement should both be encouraged. What is at stake? Network coverage, ease of communication, connectivity and access, e-governance, e-commerce and measures governing the Single Digital Market. Whilst it’s true that some steps have already been made, there remain great geographical disparities in terms of progress. For the EU to become a truly digital leader by the end of the decade, more work needs to b...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Excellera buys Brussels public affairs firm

Mace | October 22, 2026

Excellera, the EMEA-focused corporate affairs consultancy, has made its latest acquisition, picking up Fourtold, the Brussels-based public affairs and policy comms firm.

Don’t mention the B word: Andy Burnham brings Brexit back into national conversation 

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | September 30, 2026

Andy Burnham has reignited debate over Brexit renegotiations following comments at the Labour Party conference on Tuesday and on the Today programme on Wednesday morning. 

Brussels Diary by Konstantinos Bogdanos: ‘The local bistros are half-empty as the Belgian middle class finds even a weekend meal an unaffordable luxury”

Konstantinos Bogdanos | May 26, 2026

Konstantinos Bogdanos, our regular Brussels Diarist, on how the bills for Europe’s political class are finally coming due in a city where the Belgian middle-class can't afford to

Are Labour eyeing a return to the EU? Mace investigates the key players involved 

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | May 19, 2026

Recent comments by the former health secretary have plunged Brexit back into national conversation, but what does Labour actually think?

EU likely to shelve chemical reform amid industry pressure 

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | May 6, 2026

The reform concerns a pre-existing law on the Regulation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and has been in place since June 2007.  

US defence industry launches lobbying offensive against EU’s ‘Buy European’ push

Oliver Dean | February 20, 2026

As European policymakers push a 'Buy European' line, lobbyists and officials in Washington are keen to maintain dominance over the European arms market

Aviation trade bodies warn of four-hour queues unless changes are made

Mace | February 12, 2026

Trade bodies warn that biometric entry requirements will lead to massive delays for travellers

Britain must take full advantage of trade outside the EU

Ted Newson | February 12, 2026

Five years since leaving the European Union, Britain has not yet taken advantage of the levers of free trade, writes Ted Newson

EU delays high-stakes industrial policy tool

Oliver Dean | January 23, 2026

EU institutions have postponed the release of a long-anticipated industrial policy instrument, a move that has frustrated several national governments and delayed work on broader competitiveness initiatives. Reporting

EU Parliament backs Critical Medicines Act, prompting warnings over Africa supply shocks

Oliver Dean | January 22, 2026

The European Parliament has backed its negotiating position on the EU’s proposed Critical Medicines Act, a flagship attempt to curb shortages and reduce reliance on external suppliers for