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.
Are autocracies better positioned to fight pandemics than democracies? On May 6, the ACG and 1014 hosted a conversation with American political scientist and author Francis Fukuyama and Daniela Schwarzer, Director of the German Council on Foreign Relations, discussed how the current crisis is handled by different regimes.
The pandemic is the main topic in the news on both sides of the Atlantic – and indeed around the world. Citizens everywhere rely on the media to get critical information, as well as to ensure that leaders are being held accountable in how they address the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak. How does coverage compare and differ in Germany and the United States? On May 4, the ACG and the Robert Bosch Fellowship Alumni Association hosted a discussion with Sumi Somaskanda from DW News and Daniel Lippman from Politico on the role of the media in a pandemic.
On April 30, the ACG hosted a Hot Topics Call (video edition) with Emily Schultheis, Fellow at the Institute for Current World Affairs and American freelance journalist based in Berlin. She discussed the impact of the pandemic on Europe’s far right parties, and on Germany in particular.
The pandemic is challenging democratic institutions and practices all around the world. Governments have an obligation to respect the basic rights of citizens in uncertain times – but are they? On April 28, the ACG and 1014 hosted a discussion with Stefan Kornelius, Foreign Editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and ACG Young Leader alumna Dr. Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, on how democracies respond to this unprecedented crisis.
On Friday, April 24, hosted a discussion with representatives from Cleveland, Heidelberg, Knoxville, and Leipzig on the impact of COVID-19 on cities in Germany and the United States. Speakers include Tobias David, Chief of Staff for the Lord Mayor, City of Leipzig; Blaine Griffin, City Council Member, City of Cleveland; Irmintraud Jost, Head of Higher Education and Research Department, City of Heidelberg; and Stephanie Welch, Deputy to the Mayor and Chief of Economic and Community Development, City of Knoxville.