On August 27, the ACG and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung hosted an evening discussion with Klaus Welle, Secretary-General of the European Parliament. This is the recording of his speech.
Die deutsch-amerikanischen Beziehungen verändern sich mit ungeahnter Geschwindigkeit. Das mag viele zutiefst besorgen. Doch dieser Umbruch bietet die Möglichkeit zur Neugestaltung – und kann das transatlantische Verhältnis auf ein neues Niveau heben. Gerade heute, da unsicher erscheint, welchen Weg die USA einschlagen, ist in besonderer Weise Deutschland gefordert. Wie ein roter Faden zog sich diese Erkenntnis durch die 40. Young-Leaders-Konferenz des American Council on Germany. Mehrere Tage lang diskutierten in Berlin junge Amerikaner und Deutsche über den Stand der transatlantischen Beziehungen. Eines schien am Ende sicher: So wie bisher wird es nicht weitergehen. Eine Umfrage unter den Teilnehmern wies dabei auf einen Knackpunkt im Verhältnis hin: 60 Prozent der Amerikaner sowie 68 Prozent der Deutschen finden, dass gemeinsame Werte wie Demokratie, Rechtsstaatlichkeit und Meinungsfreiheit nach wie vor...
So far this summer, there has been no “Sommerloch” (a break in the pace of current events), and with the NATO Summit this week and the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin just a few days later, there is no indication that things will slow down anytime soon. Chancellor Angela Merkel has been vocal in her desire to stave off a trade war between Europe and the United States. In light of the Trump administration’s tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports and current consideration of additional tariffs on automobiles, trucks, and automotive parts – which could be painful for Germany’s major car companies – the Chancellor told the German parliament that “it is worth every effort to try to defuse this conflict so...
"The Future of Mobility is Connected and Digital" by Robin Cammarota, Program Director and Digital Strategist, American Council on Germany Although Germany is known for its green technology and Energiewende (or energy transformation), it may surprise some people to know that it will not reach its 2020 carbon reduction goal of 40 percent. This is due largely to diesel emissions. On May 17, the EU Commission officially put Germany on notice for not reducing carbon emissions. In order for Germany to meet its future emissions reduction goals, the country will have to make drastic changes to its transportation systems at the national, regional, and local levels. With more than 15 million diesel cars on the road in Germany, the government and the automobile industry are...
If the American-German relationship can survive US President Donald Trump's term, it'll be stronger than ever, write three policy experts for Handelsblatt. The Paris Climate Accord. Steel and aluminum tariffs. The Iran Deal. It is hard to imagine a rougher patch in transatlantic and US-German relations. Earlier this month, when we participated in a conference with German and American opinion leaders who had gathered in Washington, DC to assess the relationship and determine concrete actions that will drive the alliance forward, the mood of our German friends reflected this rough patch. There was great pessimism about how much progress can be achieved in shoring up the relationship given the current environment. Read more
