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.
After days and nights of negotiations at the longest EU Summit in 20 years, European leaders announced that they had reached agreement regarding a $857 billion pandemic recovery plan. Leaving perhaps her final mark on the European Union, Chancellor Angela Merkel was instrumental in achieving European consensus regarding this new plan. On July 23, the ACG hosted a discussion with Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for the New York Times, who discussed what the recovery plan means for the EU and for Chancellor Merkel’s legacy.
Under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/19, the American Council on Germany and the Heidelberg University Association partnered to hold a series of in-person “Heidelberg Lectures.” Over the next few months, we plan to continue this collaboration in an online format as part of WunderbarTogether 2020.
On July 17, the first Heidelberg Lecture took place with Prof. Dr. Welf Werner – who serves as the Director of the Heidelberg Center for American Studies – on “Fighting Unemployment during the Corona Crisis: A Transatlantic Perspective.”
Journalism and the media play an indispensable role in democracies – especially in times of crisis. On July 14, the ACG and 1014 hosted a conversation with Sewell Chan (2014 ACG Young Leader), Editorial Page Editor for the Los Angeles Times, and Anna Sauerbrey (2018 ACG Kellen Fellow), Opinion Page Editor for Der Tagesspiegel and monthly contributor to the New York Times, on the challenges facing the media in Europe and the United States during the pandemic.
Individuals, communities, and countries have all been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – and the private sector is facing its own set of challenges. On July 8, the ACG hosted a special briefing with two ACG Board members to learn how global multinational companies have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. Wayne T. Smith is CEO and Chairman of BASF Corporation and has been a member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE since 2012. Julie Linn Teigland is EY’s Managing Partner for the EMEIA region (Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa) and EY Global Leader – Women. Fast forward.
Social distancing requirements have abruptly put a halt to most cultural events. While museums and libraries in some communities in the United States and in Europe slowly start to re-open, concerts, performances, and many other cultural events are being cancelled for the rest of the year. On July 7, the ACG and 1014 hosted a virtual discussion with Elke Buhr, Chief Editor of Monopol, Germany’s largest contemporary art magazine, and Adrian Ellis, Chairman of the Global Cultural Districts Network and Founder/Director of AEA Consulting, on the unique challenges facing the arts and culture in this unprecedented time.