The spread of COVID-19 and the ensuing global lock-down as governments try to slow the spread of the corona virus has tested individuals and institutions around the world. Since March of 2020, the ACG has stepped up its digital programming by hosting webinars and video discussions which bring together policy makers and thought leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss some of the key issues shaping transatlantic relations in an unprecedented time. In addition to organizing events on its own, the ACG has also partnered with other organizations such as 1014 and Atlantik-Brücke to launch new series designed to reach beyond the ACG community.
In some U.S. states early voting has begun, and voters across the country are getting ready to head to the polls on November 5. In Europe there is concern about what the new administration in Washington might look like. With changes in leadership come evolving priorities in foreign and defense policy, which will have significant implications for Europe’s security architecture. This discussion will examine how the new administration’s approach to NATO, diplomacy, and global alliances could reshape the continent’s security landscape, fostering both opportunities and challenges for Europe as it navigates this pivotal moment in international relations.
On October 24, the American Council on Germany and the Aspen Institute hosted a virtual discussion with Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis and former Commanding General, United States Army Europe, and Dr. Claudia Major, Head of the International Security Research Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) as part of the Road to Election series.
On October 14, the ACG held a Kaffeepause with Stephan Detjen, Chief Correspondent for Deutschlandradio and the head of the station’s capital city studio in Berlin.
On October 8, the ACG hosted a discussion with Manka Heise, Leading Investigative Reporter at “Stern Investigativ,” about the stories she has covered, how she has covered them, and how she has chosen which stories to pursue.
On October 7, the ACG hosted a virtual discussion with antisemitism expert Dr. Sharon S. Nazarian, the President of the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation. She explored how the rise in antisemitism can be seen as an indicator of the waning health of democracy.
On October 2, the ACG hosted a virtual discussion with Prof. Dr. Michael Hüther, Director and Member of the Presidium at the Cologne Institute for Economic Research. He has written extensively about German and European industrial policy against the backdrop of the Zeitenwende and about the need for investment in infrastructure and transformation – and the pressures that are putting on Germany’s debt brake. The conversation was moderated by Tara Hariharan. She is Managing Director of Global Macro Research at NWI Management LP, a New York-based global macro hedge fund.