How Large Fraction of A Population Must be Vaccinated before A Disease is Controlled?

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has already caused more than 5 million casualties despite hard restrictions and relatively high vaccine coverage in many countries. The crucial question is therefore, how large vaccination rate and how severe restrictions are required to terminate the spread of the decease, assuming that the vaccine efficiency and the basic reproduction ratio (R0) are known? To answer this question, a simple mathematical equation was developed to visualize the required vaccination level as function of vaccine efficiency, restriction efficiency and basic reproduction ratio (R0). In addition to the modelling study, Covid-19 data from Europe was collected during 19/11-26/11 (2021) to assess the relation between vaccination rate and incidence. The analysis indicates that a vaccination rate of ~92% (2 doses) is currently required to stop Delta (B.1.617.2) without severe restrictions, using the vaccines that are most common in Europe today. A third vaccine dose, improved vaccines, higher vaccination rates and/or stronger restrictions will be required to force Omicron (B.1.1.529) to expire without infecting a large fraction of the population.

Assessing the Actual Impact of a Cryptojacking Attack on Individual IT Systems and Measuring Legal Responses

Mining cryptocurrencies is much more profitable if one is not paying for equipment or the electricity used for the mining. This is the main reason why cryptojacking has become so prevalent as one of the predominant cybersecurity threats facing Europe today. While the robustness of an organisation is important, one should also know what to do following a security incident or breach. Whilst post-incident analyses are important, an organization should also ascertain their legal standing as well as any possible ways forward after the damage has been done. In order to have a better idea of such a situation, we conducted an in-depth analysis of what a cryptojacking attack would do to our computer network. We did not do that to better protect ourselves, but rather to assess what management can do after an attack happens. Furthermore, we present areas that should be taken into account when assessing damage and propose legal measures effective at the European Union level, relying on criminal, civil and data protection provisions.

Intra-generational inequalities in young people’s political participation in Europe: The impact of social class on youth political engagement

The declining political engagement of youth is a concern in many European democracies. However, young people are also spearheading protest movements cross-nationally. While there has been research on political inequalities between generations or inter-generational differences, research looking at differences within youth itself, or inequalities between young people from different social backgrounds, particularly from a cross-national perspective, is rare. In this article, we aim to fill this gap in the literature. Using survey data from 2018 on young people aged 18–34 years, we analyse how social class background differentiates groups of young people in their political engagement and activism across nine European countries. We look at social differentiation by social class background for both political participation in a wide variety of political activities including conventional, unconventional, community and online forms of political participation, and at attitudes linked to broader political engagement, to paint a detailed picture of extant inequalities amongst young people from a cross-national perspective. The results clearly show that major class inequalities exist in political participation and broader political engagement among young people across Europe today.

Gas prices expose Europe’s energy vulnerability

Significance The cost of gas-fired generation sets the electricity price in much of Europe today. Falling indigenous production has left Europe reliant on gas imports and exposed it to global liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices set by fast-recovering China. This has left retail-only electricity suppliers vulnerable and increases the risk that falling disposable incomes will undermine post-pandemic recovery. Impacts EU carbon allowance prices will stay strong. Higher energy prices will stoke inflation amid a fragile recovery, posing a dilemma for central banks. Rising gas prices have had ancillary but potentially alarming impacts as some fertiliser and CO2 producers have shut in production.

DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND THE DIGITISATION OF GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE

In Europe today, digital platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, provide essential means for millions of people to express themselves, engage in public debate, and organise politically (Poell & van Dijck, 2018). Crucially, governments are leveraging the power of platforms to impose new forms of restrictions on free expression, and engage in surveillance of individuals and online activism. This has profound implications for the rights to freedom of expression, privacy, and data protection. Further, platforms that once refused to cooperate with governments in identifying users responsible for disseminating allegedly illegal or harmful content are now expanding cooperation with authorities, including sharing data about users flagged by law enforcement and other authorities. As civil society organisations warn, this trend is contributing to ‘invasive and unlawful digital surveillance’ (Amnesty International, 2019, p. 24). This paper examines how European governments are leveraging the power of digital platforms to engage in government surveillance online, and assesses the compatibility of these measures with European human rights law. The paper applies a unique interdisciplinary perspective, bringing together law, political communication and surveillance studies. First, the paper examines how platforms’ algorithmic systems shape (and limit) information dissemination. The paper then critically analyses government-platform initiatives that exist to surveil citizens and gather information, including new measures under the EU’s proposed Digital Services Act. Third, it assesses how these measures comply with freedom of expression and the right to privacy, and concludes with recommendations on remedying problematic elements of the role platforms play in digitisation of government surveillance.

What are the Major Challenges Affecting the Social Democratic Parties in Europe Today?

At present, the European social democratic parties are facing an increasing number of challenges. This article briefly introduces the major challenges that social democratic parties face and analyzes the reasons for the emergence of such challenges.

Empreendedorismo cultural e festa: uma Etnografia da Festa de São João do Porto em Portugal

As festas são espaços históricos e com relevância quando abordamos o estudo do empreendedorismo cultural. Uma festa centenária, que influenciou a cultura brasileira e é uma das mais importantes na Europa nos dias atuais, revela estratégias e inovações pertinentes para a pesquisa e a discussão no campo do empreendedorismo cultural. Este trabalho, portanto, tem como objetivo compreender a relevância e estratégias do empreendedorismo cultural na festa do São do Porto. Para tal, serão discutidas no âmbito teórico e prático, as ideias de empreendedorismo cultural, identidade cultural e juventude, no contexto de uma festa. Como resultado, são apresentados, através da metodologia etnográfica, com a estratégia do estudo de caso, e com apoio das técnicas fotográficas e fílmicas, os elementos teóricos e práticos que constituem a longevidade e potencial de crescimento da festa do São João do Porto em Portugal. Empreendedorismo Cultural; Festa; Identidade Cultural; Juventude. Parties are historical spaces and are relevant when we approach the study of cultural entrepreneurship. A centenary party, which influenced brazilian culture and is one of the most important in Europe today, reveals strategies and relevant innovations for research and discussion in the field of cultural entrepreneurship. This work, therefore, aims to understand the relevance and strategies of cultural entrepreneurship in the São do Porto festival. To this end, the ideas of cultural entrepreneurship, cultural identity and youth will be discussed in the theoretical and practical scope, in the context of a party. As a result, the theoretical and practical elements that constitute the longevity and growth potential of the São João do Porto festival in Portugal are presented, through the ethnographic methodology with the case study strategy, and with the support of photographic and filmic techniques. Cultural Entrepreneurship; Sociability; Party; Cultural Identity; Youth. Las fiestas son espacios históricos y son relevantes cuando nos acercamos al estudio del emprendimiento cultural. Una fiesta centenaria, que influyó en la cultura brasileña y es una de las más importantes de Europa en la actualidad, revela estrategias e innovaciones relevantes para la investigación y discusión en el campo del emprendimiento cultural. Este trabajo, por tanto, tiene como objetivo comprender la relevancia y las estrategias del emprendimiento cultural en el festival de São do Porto. Para ello, las ideas de emprendimiento cultural, identidad cultural y juventud serán discutidas en el ámbito teórico y práctico, en el contexto de una fiesta. Como resultado, se presentan los elementos teóricos y prácticos que constituyen la longevidad y potencial de crecimiento del festival São João do Porto en Portugal, a través de la metodología etnográfica con la estrategia de estudio de caso, y con el apoyo de técnicas fotográficas y fílmicas. Emprendimiento cultural; Fiesta; Identidad Cultural; Juventud.