The times are gone, when the digital divide used to be an economic matter between “haves” and “have nots” or a divide in technological skill. Internet penetration rates in the Danube Region are converging and moving towards 80-90%. However, internet access, for instance on the mobile phone, does not mean that the internet is used for much more than reading the news. The true potential of the internet can only be harnessed by interactive and transactional services, whether in eGovernment or eParticipation: Transactional eGovernment services are a main driver of administrative reform and cost efficiency; the usage of social media and eDemocracy platforms promotes social cohesion and civic engagement. Via the digital media, everybody can talk to the world – at least in theory. Having access to the editor function of a social media or participation platform in a web browser via an internet connection at an affordable monthly flat rate, however, does not by a long shot mean that one can also express one’s opinion in a convincing way. Hence, there may be a new digital divide about being able or not being able to express oneself in the internet media. This year’s "Central and Eastern European eGovernment & eDemocracy Days" aim to explore to what extent and in what regard the Danube Region is digitally divided, what the driving forces of these divisions are and what factors determine them. Understanding the digital divide is pivotal to promote cohesion in the Danube Region and to design effective policies to enhance regional integration.

Is CoV-19 a driver for eGovernment? Undeniably, the pandemic has changed our patterns of life considerably insluding usage of the digital media for working, shopping and communication. In Public Administation, sending administrative staff to home office due to a pandemic "lockdown" brutally exposed shortcomings in public-sector digitization: Crime suspects had to be released because public prosecutors could not issue warrants from their home offices, building permits were not granted for months for lack of electronic files, school education virtually breaking down because neither necessary infrastructure nor useful concepts and content were available for remote teaching. This raises the question, whether Corona may turn out to be the ultimate boost for digitization in these domains and whether administraions with better levels of digitization also fared better during these months, but also whether there are liminits to what can be done digitally.

Fake news and hate speech have become a significant factor in political discussions aimed at suppressing other opinions and/or unduly influencing democratic decision making. Both phenomena corrupt and distort civic dialogue. This study analyses them from a policy, social and technical angle and develops a foundation for policies fighting fake news and hate speech. The study was conducted with the support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Part of the research was also an empirical survey among the Members of Congress.