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.
The American Council on Germany and the Aspen Institute Germany hosted the third event in our virtual event series State-to-State: German-American State Legislator Dialogue bringing together state legislators to discuss how subnational actors have to step up to address common transatlantic challenges. On May 20, Juan Fernandez-Barquin (R), Florida House of Representatives, and Christina Kampmann (SPD), State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, discussed how states in both countries are addressing the challenges posed by long-lasting structural changes in our economies and the workplace.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected nearly every country in the world. It has disrupted the lives of billions of people. The development and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines have been positive. However, while some countries have secured billions of doses others struggle to obtain supplies. We’ve seen cases of “vaccine nationalism” as some countries hoard vaccines and make them available to their citizens and also “vaccine diplomacy” by countries using vaccine distribution to help others while advancing their standing in the international community.
On May 19, the ACG and 1014 hosted a discussion about taking a global approach to vaccine distribution with Thomas J. Bollyky, Director of the Global Health Program and Senior Fellow for Global Health, Economics, and Development at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter, Chair of Political Science at the Institute of Political Science at the Technical University Dresden, and Head of the Governance for Global Health Research Group at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB); and Dr. Moritz Rudolf, Associate in the Asia Department of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).
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 Monday, May 17, the ACG hosted a discussion with Bloomberg Opinion columnist Andreas Kluth, who was previously Editor-in-Chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for The Economist.
The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a severe global economic crisis. While the current situation in Europe and the United States is different, in an effort to jump-start their economies both the EU and the U.S. are in the process of adopting ambitious stimulus packages. The NextGeneration EU recovery plan is in the process of being ratified by the national parliament of each EU member state. In the U.S., the Biden-Harris administration has proposed major spending programs in the form of the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan.
On May 12, the ACG and Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung hosted a discussion with ACG Chairman Ambassador John B. Emerson and Markus Ferber, Member of the European Parliament Chairman of the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung; and moderated by economist Megan E. Greene.
With lockdown measures, social distancing requirements, and other restrictions, the hospitality, and gastronomy sectors have been hit hard by the pandemic. How have hotels, restaurants, cafes, and bars navigated the myriad of regulations? How have they adapted to the changing circumstances as the pandemic goes through different phases? How are they positioning themselves for the coming months?
On May 11, the ACG and 1014 hosted a discussion with Nadine and Tom Michelberger who run the Hotel Michelberger in Berlin as a continually evolving family business; Rose Previte who owns and manages “Compass Rose” and “Maydan” in Washington D.C.; as well as Charlotta Janssen who opened the restaurant “Chez Oskar” in Brooklyn, New York, in 2000 to showcase her artwork.