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.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced the drawdown of nearly 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany. This decision will have a significant impact on the security of Europe – and has the potential to change the dynamic of the German-American partnership. On August 3 the ACG hosted a webinar with the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Deputy Foreign Editor, Paul-Anton Krüger, on the implications of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany.
The United States and Europe have shared interests when it comes to developing an approach to China and this realization may now gain traction through a new initiative, the EU-US Dialogue on China agreed to by Secretary Pompeo and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell. On July 30, the American Council on Germany and the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society hosted a conversation on the United States, Europe, and China with Dr. Melanie Hart, Senior Fellow and Director of China Policy at the Center for American Progress; Dr. Mikko Huotari, Executive Director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS); and, Dr. Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at Asia Society.
There is no doubt that the coronavirus crisis has had public health and economic implications on the federal, state, and local levels in Germany – and the United States. As communities on both sides of the Atlantic try to move back to normalcy, on July 29, the ACG and the Hanns Seidel Foundation are delighted to host a conversation with Michael Chertoff, Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee ReOpen DC, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of The Chertoff Group, and Dr. Florian Herrmann, Chair of the Bavarian Corona Crisis Task Force, Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, and State Minister for Federal and European Affairs and Media, and moderated by Ann Marie Hauser (2007 ACG Young Leader), Vice President for Public Affairs at The Hudson Institute.
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.