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.
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.
In order for democracies to function effectively, citizens need transparent access to accurate information based on facts. Democratic institutions are being undermined by a proliferation of disinformation which creates chaos, division, and distrust. In many cases, citizens seem to live in parallel universes in which people believe in a completely different set of facts and live in different realities. What can be done to combat misinformation and help guarantee access to truthful, fact-based information?
On July 14, Nina Jankowicz, Global Fellow at the Wilson Center and Author of How to Lose the Information War; Prof. Dr. Hanna Klimpe, Professor of Social Media and Commissioner for Equity, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences; and Andrea Shalal, Senior Correspondent with Reuters, discussed the impact of disinformation on politics and society with This discussion is the final event in the series “Democracy on the Brink? Challenges to Democracy in Germany, Europe, and the United States and How to Confront Them” which is held under the auspices of Wunderbar Together 2021 and in partnership with the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) and Atlantik-Brücke.
Democracy is under attack. Rising populism, waning trust in democratic institutions and practices, and a period of unprecedented uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have strained democratic institutions. On Monday, July 12, 2021, WACA hosted Jan-Werner Müller to discuss his new book, “Democracy Rules,” which suggests that we need to re-invigorate the intermediary institutions that have been deemed essential for democracy’s success: political parties and free media. WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford moderates the conversation. This program took place under the auspices of Wunderbar Together 2021, the World Affairs Councils of America, the American Council on Germany, and Atlantik-Brücke who partnered with World Affairs Councils across the country for a series of virtual events focused on challenges to democracy in Germany, Europe, and the U.S. The experts discuss the causes of this democratic malaise, analyze how serious these threats are, and examine what can be done to push back against those pressures – with a view to the exploration of how Europe and the U.S. can better collaborate on these issues.
On both sides of the Atlantic, popular confidence in political institutions has fallen and voters are increasingly disenchanted with mainstream political parties. In the United States, political polarization is at an all-time high, and in Europe political splintering is weakening long-established parties. Additionally, citizens are unable to determine which news sources are trustworthy and are increasingly influenced by fake news and conspiracy theories promulgated by both domestic and foreign actors (namely China and Russia). What are some of the causes of these trends and what can be done to address them?
On July 13, the ACG, World Affairs Council of America, and Atlantik-Bruecke hosted a discussion with Anne Applebaum, Staff Writer, The Atlantic in discussion with Dr. David Deissner, Executive Director, Atlantik-Brücke. This discussion is part of the series “Democracy on the Brink? Challenges to Democracy in Germany, Europe, and the United States and How to Confront Them” which is held under the auspices of Wunderbar Together 2021.
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. On July 12, Dr. Steven Sokol spoke with Luisa Beck, European Reporter for the Washington Post’s Berlin Bureau.