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.
Starting with a street vendor in Tunisia, the “Arab Spring” protests took over much of the Middle East and Northern Africa ten years ago as people fought against oppressive governments. Although many observers and analysts believed that this would be a turning point for the region, high hopes turned to despair. A decade after citizens throughout the region rose up against its dictators, authoritarianism still has a tight grip and people are exhausted and drained. Poverty has deepened, and the pandemic and falling oil prices have exacerbated the situation.
On February 23, the ACG hosted a discussion about the legacy of the “Arab Spring” and its impact across the region today with former U.S. diplomat Ambassador James F. Jeffrey and award-winning journalist Souad Mekhennet. She was on the ground during the uprisings and has spent the past decade researching the long-term strategies of terrorist organizations after the “Arab Spring.”
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) as it has prompted millions of people to turn to cashless payments. But, efforts to create CBDCs is nothing new. Central banks have been exploring how CBDCs could become a reality since Facebook’s efforts to launch its own cryptocurrency Libra raised the prospect of a private company competing with traditional currencies.
On February 10, the American Council on Germany hosted a discussion with Burkhard Balz, Member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, on CBDC trends in Europe.
As countries around the world struggle to roll out vaccines to combat the coronavirus crisis, the pandemic is not the only global challenge on the international agenda. The common issues facing Europe and the United States are daunting. They include climate change, migration, democracy and multilateralism, international trade, as well as security and defense.
On February 9, the ACG and 1014 hosted a discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on international affairs with Sharon Burke, Senior Advisor to the International Security Program and Resource Security Program at New America, and Dr. Stefan Mair, Director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP).
On February 2, the ACG, Deutsches Haus at NYU, and NYU’s Center for European and Mediterranean Studies presented “What’s Behind Germany’s Querdenker Movement?” The intensity and scope of protests against the government measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in Germany has surprised many observers. Self-stylized “lateral thinkers” have forged a coalition that encompasses far-right extremists but also anti-vaxxers who historically have aligned with the left. At both ends of the political spectrum, protesters seem to share a deep-seated distrust in government. This event featured Pia Lamberty, Natascha Strobl, and Konstantin von Notz, and moderated by Christian Martin. The panel discussed the Querdenker, their origins, and the likely future developments in an historic election year.
On January 29, the American Council on Germany and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung hosted a virtual discussion on how the Biden Administration’s domestic agenda might impact its foreign policy priorities – and what Europe can expect from the new government. Speakers included Paul Linnarz, Director of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s U.S. office; Dr. Charles Kupchan, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University; Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert, Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and former President of the German Bundestag; Robin Wright, Columnist at The New Yorker, Distinguished Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and Senior Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The discussion was moderated by ACG President Dr. Steven E. Sokol.