A new comparative study on minimum income protection by the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy reveals that, in many countries, minimum income schemes remain far from meeting their promise of securing a life in dignity for all – despite states’ shared commitment to the right to human dignity and social inclusion. The open access book “ Life in Dignity ”, edited by Prof. Ulrich Becker and Dr. Irene Domenici and co-authored by legal experts from all over the world, offers a comprehensive analysis of minimum income measures in 16 countries across Europe and beyond – Germany,

What role do ideological and religious values play in the state´s assumption of social responsibility? The Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy is exploring this question in a series of lectures entitled “Ethical and Religious Foundations of the Welfare State,” which started on 13 October 2025 with a lecture by Prof. Dr. Heinrich de Wall (FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg). In his lecture, the renowned expert in church law and constitutional law explored the tension arising from the welfare state’s responsibilities, religiously influenced provider structures, and state neutrality. This

LSE-Professor Iain Begg explores options for a better model of EU finances - The budget of the EU is regularly a bone of contention – notably for those Member States that are net contributors. When the European Commission issued its proposals for the long-term budget for the period 2028 – 2034 this July, “the Dutch government needed just one hour and a half to refuse”, reported Prof. Iain Begg from the European Institute of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in his lecture that took place on 16 September in Munich as part of the series “The Future of the Fiscal and the

Der Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) in der Medizin bietet große Chancen – aber auch Risiken. Welche Gefahren für die Autonomie der Patienten und Patientinnen bestehen, wenn in die Diagnose und die Entscheidung über eine Behandlung KI einbezogen wird, hat unser Wissenschaftler Dr. Christian Günther in seiner Arbeit „ Artificial Intelligence, Patient Autonomy and Informed Constent “ untersucht. In der neuen Folge der Podcast-Reihe „Ach Mensch!“ von detektor.fm spricht er mit Moderatorin Jessica Hughes über seine Forschungsergebnisse und die zentrale Frage: „Was macht KI mit der Patientenautonomie

Schon lange sucht die Politik nach schnellen und effektiven Mitteln, um Migration zu regulieren und insbesondere irreguläre Migration zu begrenzen. Wie die Eilentscheidung des Berliner Verwaltungsgerichts jetzt erneut gezeigt hat, steht jede Maßnahme jedoch unter dem Vorbehalt, dass die Rechte von Schutzbedürftigen gewahrt bleiben. Wie Zuwanderung in der EU besser und dennoch rechtskonform gesteuert werden kann, erklärte Prof. Ulrich Becker, Direktor am Max-Planck-Institut für Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik, in einem Interview im Vorfeld der Entscheidung über die EU-Asylreform => zum Interview

The city of Linz has awarded the Humanitarian Medal to our Institute's Turkey correspondent, Prof. Dr. Alpay Hekimler. The award recognizes his academic work and his cross-border commitment to education and understanding. The labor and social law expert has initiated academic collaborations and exchange programs between universities in Turkey and Austria, thereby “creating a climate of mutual understanding,” as emphasized in the laudatory speech. Born in Germany, Prof. Hekimler has specifically promoted academic exchange between Turkey and Austria throughout his career, first as a professor