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.
COVID-19 has disproportionally affected low income and minority communities, increased the digital divide, shown weakness in healthcare systems, and changed the nature of everyday life including work and education. Although Germany was able to suppress the infection rate, the pandemic has taken a toll on its social system. On August 18, the ACG hosted a webinar with Bundestag Member Ekin Deligoez (Green Party), who serves on the Bundestag’s Budget Committee and as Spokeswoman for the Bavarian Greens in the Bundestag, on the impact of the pandemic on German society.
This webinar is part of a series titled [Virtual] Transatlantic Town Halls: German Bundestag Member Dialogues being held as part of Wunderbar Together USA 2020, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
In mid-July, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced revised guidelines regarding sanctions on energy pipeline projects – including Nord Stream II and TurkStream. The Trump administration is concerned that Nord Stream II, which is nearing completion, threatens to give Moscow economic and political leverage over Europe and will undermine Europe’s energy security. However, these new sanctions may also lead to further tensions in the transatlantic relationship. On August 12, the ACG hosted a webinar on Nord Stream II, European energy policy, and what this all means for the transatlantic relationship featuring Ambassador Daniel Fried, Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council and former US Ambassador to Poland, and Dr. Kirsten Westphal, Head of Geopolitics of Energy Transformation for the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
There are a number of important issues on the transatlantic agenda. And, yet the relevance of the partnership between the United States and Germany has been called into question in recent years. From defense spending and the proposed U.S. military drawdown, to transatlantic trade and investment, to relations with other countries such as China and Russia, the German-American relationship has been charged. With the German presidency of the European Council, what can we expect for the transatlantic relationship in the months and years to come? On Tuesday, August 11, the ACG hosted a webinar with Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT), Senior Member of House Committee on Armed Services, and Bundestag Member Dr. Tobias Lindner (Die Grüne), Spokesman for Security Policy, Chairman of the Defense Committee; and moderated by Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, Executive Director of the Future of Diplomacy Project and Executive Director of The Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of the ACG’s Eric M. Warburg Chapter in Boston.
Virtually every aspect of life has changed due to the spread of COVID-19. Perhaps one of the hardest hit industries is travel. Global stay-at-home orders and travel bans have drastically cut domestic and international travel. As some areas of the world begin to reopen, airlines and hotels begin to set in place new precautions to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. On August 10, the ACG hosted a webinar with Frank Naeve, Vice President of Sales for the Americas for Lufthansa, who discussed what COVID-19 means for the airline industry today and in the future.
Cities that were built on iron, steel, and coal have had to overcome deep economic challenges and structural changes in recent decades. Both Dortmund and Pittsburgh have rebuilt themselves as thriving metropolises. However, the spread of COVID-19 is forcing cities to confront a new set of challenges. On August 7, the ACG hosted a second webinar with William Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, and Ullrich Sierau, Mayor of Dortmund, who provided an update on how their cities have developed sustainable strategies to meet the challenges of structural change, a public health crisis, and diversity and inclusion in their communities – and how they are preparing for the future.