The German Greens are on the rise. The polls see the Greens high up, even up to 26 percent[1]. That would make them the largest caucus in the German Bundestag. By comparison: In the election for the German Bundestag in 2017, the result for the Greens was only 8.9 percent, the smallest caucus in the Parliament. These are just polls; much will happen before the next election. But the German Greens will be strong in the next Bundestag for sure. And there are simple reasons why: the climate crisis, the Greens’ growing competence in policy, and the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Climate Protection The Umweltbewusstseinsstudie 2018, a study developed by the German Environment Ministry and the Federal Environment Agency, shows that 64 percent of Germans...
Another effort fostering solutions is a panel discussion at Belmont University focusing on social disruption in the U.S. and Germany. By Patrick W. Ryan, President and Founder of the Tennessee World Affairs Council, Dr. Nina Smidt, Director of International Strategic Planning at ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius, and Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President of the American Council on Germany in New York. In a period of increased polarization in domestic politics, fragmentation of society and social inequity, efforts to adapt and grow to meet the complex 21st century challenges of globalization and technological change should begin at the local level. Germany and the United States face many of the same domestic challenges, and local communities in both countries can learn from each other’s innovative approaches...
Under the auspices of the DZ BANK Fellowship on Transatlantic Business and Finance, Martin-Sebastian Abel, a public affairs specialist at NRW.BANK, the state development bank of Germany’s largest state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is conducting research on divestment in the United States until July. He has interviewed professionals in finance, representatives from universities, as well as decision-makers on the local and state level about the impact of divestment, including fossil-fuel divestment, and the processes to divest pension or endowment funds in the U.S. and in Germany. Some of his initial findings follow here. “At $8 trillion in endowments and portfolios, divestment has been described as the biggest corporate campaign of its kind in history,” Bill McKibben said proudly. The environmentalist and co-founder of 350.org wrote the...
In the immediate run-up to European parliamentary elections, the ACG’s Eric M. Warburg Chapters in Charlotte, Nashville, and Pittsburgh hosted discussions with Martin Klingst, Senior Political Correspondent with DIE ZEIT, about European and German politics. The timing of these events coincided not only with elections across Europe but also emerging political scandals in Austria and Theresa May’s announcement that she would step down as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It was a fascinating week to discuss European politics. The developing scandal in Austria involving the Vice Chancellor could impact the popularity of right-wing parties in European elections. It is still unclear what will come out of this scandal, both nationally and within the EU. However, these developments have put the Austrian government in a state of...
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Denes Kuecuek is well aware of the striking similarities between his hometown of Dortmund, Germany, and this city. Both were once industrial giants – Youngstown as the steel-producing behemoth of the Mahoning Valley and Dortmund as a coal and steel center of the Ruhr Valley. Today, both cities are in the midst of a transformation, a notion that wasn’t lost on Kuecuek as he and five other professionals from Germany spent the day exploring how Youngstown is embracing the digital age in preparation for its future. “I think we have the same problems and the same challenges,” Kuecuek said. “It’s interesting to see how you handled these changes.” Kuecuek, the deputy head of Dortmund’s chief information office, noted there’s an initiative underway...
