The ACG organizes Policy Conferences to bring together policymakers, business leaders, journalists, and analysts to share their expertise and exchange perspectives on issues of contemporary concern.
These conferences promote transatlantic understanding and strive to facilitate more effective policy coordination. The conferences have both taken a wide view of transatlantic relations and have focused on specific issues ranging from health care to NATO’s role to Russia and the global financial crisis. The participants look to create practical policy solutions to complex problems.
“The New Realities for Democracy and Transatlantic Relation in an Election Year Unlike Any Other”
In 2024, more than sixty countries will hold a variety of elections. As half of the global population heads to the polls to vote, the results of these elections will have long-term implications for democratic institutions, values, and processes. Ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as well as issues like political polarization, economic insecurity, and distrust in government form the backdrop of this pivotal year.
At this crucial moment, the American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke convened their annual German-American conference in Washington D.C. on April 15 and 16, 2024 to explore what’s at stake and the role that the transatlantic relationship plays in this monumental year of elections.
“Global Economic Disruptions and Transatlantic Alliances”
The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and climate change have created huge disruptions – with lasting implications at the global, national, and local levels. Particularly on the economic side, many parts of the world have been experiencing stagnation and inflationary trends, both of which have led to supply chain disruptions, food shortages, and rising prices for commodities like energy and food. As a result, economic fragility has highlighted – and exacerbated – alarming trends when it comes to economic welfare, social unity, and political cohesion.
At this critical juncture, the American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke convened their annual transatlantic conference in Washington, DC to explore the recent economic impacts to the transatlantic partnership – and worldwide.
Ambassador John B. Emerson, Chairman of the American Council on Germany, and Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman of Atlantik-Brücke, opened the conference by welcoming everyone back to Washington, DC since the last German-American Conference in the United States in 2018.
“Holding Together in Times of Crisis: A New Era for German-American Relations”
Mutual trust and a confident outlook on transatlantic relations in a time of war and crisis currently characterize the German-American partnership. This was made clear by the various panels at the 2022 German-American Conference of the American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke at the Allianz Forum in Berlin on June 13 and 14. “There is no desirable alternative to the partnership with the United States,” emphasized former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman of Atlantik-Brücke, in his opening speech. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the two organizations, Mr. Gabriel recalled that former wartime enemies had become friends in the course of just one generation. This was “a small miracle,” he said. With regard to the current global political situation, he noted that it had been a mistake to try to counter Russian power politics with economic integration. Germany needs to review and revise its policy toward Russia, he said. “Uncertainty and instability will define the next decade,” Mr. Gabriel said.