On March 1, 2021, the American Council on Germany launched a weekly online discussion series titled “Kaffeepause: What’s Abuzz in Berlin?” In an effort to keep members and friends up to date on current political, economic, and social developments in Germany, every Monday the ACG hosts a discussion with a journalist based in Berlin on the topics behind the headlines and shaping political discourse in Germany. We have built a loyal following among viewers.
Topics have ranged from Germany’s response to COVID-19 to the economic impact of the pandemic, from Germany’s state and federal elections to polling and coalition negotiations, and from energy policy to migration to the state of transatlantic relations. Regular guests have included Matthias Deiss (2008 Young Leader) from ARD, Melissa Eddy from the New York Times, Sonja Gillert (2019 Young Leader and 2019 Kellen Fellow) from Die Welt, freelance journalist Miriam Hollstein (2008 McCloy Fellow in Journalism), Politico’s Matthew Karnitschnig, Andreas Kluth from Bloomberg Opinion, Malte Lehming from Der Tagesspiegel, and Deutsche Welle’s Sumi Somaskanda, among others.