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.
President Biden has proposed a $2 trillion infrastructure plan that he states will upgrade roads, bridges, and water systems, expand digital access and broadband, hasten a shift to clean energy, and create millions of jobs. The EU’s $800 billion Recovery Fund also focuses on addressing climate change and the digital transformation as part of its economic recovery plan.
On July 21, the ACG and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung hosted a discussion on infrastructure with Greg Lindsay, Director of Applied Research, NewCities, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council’s Foresight, Strategy, and Risks Initiative; Brandie Lockett (2018 ACG Sustainable Urban Development), City Designer, Houston Public Works, City of Houston; and Thomas Puls, Senior Economist for Transportation and Infrastructure, Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft; and moderated by Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President, American Council on Germany.
A number of recent surveys in Europe and the United States have shown growing discontent with the way democracy is working, distrust in democratic institutions, and the ability of democracies to confront the many complex challenges facing our societies.
On July 21, the American Council on Germany and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung hosted a discussion on climate change with Dr. Camilla Bausch, Scientific and Executive Director, Ecologic Institute; Samantha Gross, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative, Brookings Institution; and moderated by Dr. Michael Mehling (2007 ACG McCloy Environmental Fellow), Deputy Director, MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR).
Geopolitical challenges continue to confront the transatlantic alliance ranging from Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine to China’s military build-up and pressure on Taiwan to President Biden’s decision to remove American troops from Afghanistan by September of this year to cyber threats from adversaries around the world.
On July 20, the ACG and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung USA hosted a discussion on transatlantic security and defense with Dr. Jana Puglierin, Head of the Berlin Office and Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR); Dr. Torrey Taussig, Research Director for the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship, Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center; Nonresident Fellow, Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States and Europe; and moderated by Lauren M. Speranza, Director of Transatlantic Defense and Security, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
Within hours of taking office, President Biden brought the United States back to the Paris Climate Agreement. The new administration has also taken steps to return to the Iran nuclear deal, de-escalate transatlantic trade tensions, and committed more U.S. troops in Germany. Nevertheless, there are contentious issues where Europe and the United States do not see eye to eye. Join us for a discussion about the areas of collaboration – and also the sticking points – between Washington and Europe six months in to the new administration.
On July 19, the American Council on Germany and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung USA hosted a virtual discussion on the state of German-American relations. Ambassador Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States, delivered an opening statement; followed by a panel discussion with Peter Beyer, Member of the German Bundestag (CDU) and Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation in the Federal Foreign Office; and Molly Montgomery, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Each week, the ACG hosts a discussion with a journalist based in Germany on the topics making the headlines and shaping political discourse in Berlin. Following Chancellor Angela Merkel visit to the United States to meet with President Joseph Biden, the ACG shifted the discussion from Berlin to Washington, DC. On July 19, the ACG discussed Merkel’s visit and the catastrophic flooding in Germany with Handelsblatt U.S. Correspondent Annett Meiritz.