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The report addresses the definitional ambiguity of 'systemic risks' in the Digital Services Act (DSA) by proposing a structured research agenda. This framework operationalises risk assessment through six dimensions: severity (scale, scope, and remediability) and likelihood (platform characteristics, historical patterns, and contextual factors). Using asymmetric amplification of political content during elections as a case study, the authors demonstrate how a plurality of observational and experimental methods is necessary to generate the evidence required for regulatory decisions. The report concludes that current data access constraints, including limited API functionality and restrictive Virtual Computing Environments, hinder the ability of researchers to fulfill their legally recognised role under the DSA.

Ten youths challenged the State of Brandenburg for failing to set climate protection goals and emission reduction paths, arguing this violated German constitutional law and endangered future generations. The Federal Constitutional Court rejected the claims on 18 January 2022, ruling that it was not possible to determine the extent of the state legislature's power to prevent future rights violations, noting a lack of federal specifications on state-level emission budgets and the limited influence of states in climate protection areas managed by the federal government.

Ten youth plaintiffs challenged the State of Bavaria's climate legislation, arguing that inadequate greenhouse gas reduction pathways violated their constitutional rights to freedom, life, and physical integrity. The Federal Constitutional Court of Germany rejected the claims on 18 January 2022, ruling that it was not possible to determine the specific extent of the state legislature's power to prevent future rights violations, partly because the federal government had not provided specific requirements for state-level emission reductions.

The report examines the social media strategy of the AfD in eastern Germany, finding that migration, economic grievances, and opposition to Ukraine support are the primary drivers of engagement. It highlights that the AfD views the CDU as its primary political competitor and warns that the party's growth may lead to unstable government coalitions that undermine democratic trust.

The document examines the 2018 establishment of Germany's "Coal Commission," which aimed to balance climate goals with a just transition for workers and coal-dependent regions. The commission proposed ending coal-fired power by 2038, supported by an estimated 69 billion to 93 billion euros in measures, including a 40 billion euro investment in affected regions. While praised for its multi-stakeholder approach and clear mandate, the plan faced criticism from NGOs for lacking ambition and providing excessive compensation to power plant operators.

ClientEarth argues that the German coal phase-out law (KVBG) and its implementing contract provide excessive state aid to lignite operators, specifically LEAG and RWE. The organization claims that the lack of a transparent calculation formula masks overcompensation totaling nearly €2 billion. Furthermore, ClientEarth asserts that using these funds to cover the recultivation of opencast mines violates the polluter pays principle, as such costs are already legal obligations of the mine operators under German mining law.

The German Green Party has experienced a significant rise in support, surpassing the Social Democrats (SPD) in the 2019 European elections and becoming a leading force in German politics. This momentum is attributed to the party's transition from an anti-establishment movement to a 'responsible political actor' capable of governing, as evidenced by its presence in nine regional governments. The party's success is further driven by the leadership of Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock, who have moved beyond internal ideological divides to embrace 'radical realism'—a strategy that bridges contradictions between economy and ecology. This shift coincides with a broader restructuring of the German political landscape, where traditional 'Volksparteien' (people's parties) like the CDU and SPD are losing influence as society becomes more individualised and climate change becomes a primary public concern.

The document assesses the progress of Germany's Energiewende, noting that while renewable energy shares have grown, coal still provided 42% of power production in 2015. It highlights the economic tension between the 'big four' utilities and decentralized renewables, the social and political challenges of phasing out hard coal and lignite, and the influence of industry unions in blocking a proposed climate levy on power plants in favor of a capacity reserve.

The document details a rise in political violence in Germany, noting 3,691 attacks against politically active individuals in 2023. It analyzes how disinformation narratives targeting political leaders, civic institutions, and immigrants are leveraged by domestic actors (such as the AfD and BSW) and foreign actors (primarily Russia via RT Deutsch and Pravda-DE) to destabilize the democratic system. The report highlights the role of 'mirror websites' and VPNs in bypassing sanctions on Russian media and notes that over 75% of adversarial content from analyzed domains relates to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.