Symposium
Details
To mark the first six months of the Biden administration, the American Council on Germany (ACG) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung USA will hold a series of five virtual events immediately following the visit to Washington by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Taken together, these events will focus on the direction of the new U.S. administration in key areas such as climate policy, international security, and post-COVID economic recovery, in an effort to highlight how Europe and the United States can better collaborate on these issues.
Please find videos of the events below!
Read the symposium report here.
Program
July 19: Measuring the Pulse: What’s the Status of Transatlantic Relations Six Months In?
Within hours of taking office, President Biden brought the United States back to the Paris Climate Agreement. The new administration has also taken steps to return to the Iran nuclear deal, de-escalate transatlantic trade tensions, and committed more U.S. troops in Germany. Nevertheless, there are contentious issues where Europe and the United States do not see eye to eye.
Join the American Council on Germany and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung USA for a discussion about the areas of collaboration – and also the sticking points – between Washington and Europe six months in to the new administration.
Opening statement:
Ambassador Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States
Followed by a discussion with
Peter Beyer, Member of the German Bundestag (CDU) and Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation in the Federal Foreign Office
Molly Montgomery, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Moderator:
Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President, American Council on Germany
July 20 - Session 1: Common Security and Defense Policy: What’s at Stake?
Geopolitical challenges continue to confront the transatlantic alliance ranging from Russia’s continued aggressions in Ukraine to China’s military build-up and pressure on Taiwan to President Biden’s decision to remove American troops from Afghanistan by September of this year to cyber threats from adversaries around the world. How can Europe and the United States get on the same page to effectively deal with these issues? What will “burden-sharing” look like in the months and years ahead?
Panel:
Dr. Jana Puglierin, Head of the Berlin Office and Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Dr. Torrey Taussig, Research Director for the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship, Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center; Nonresident Fellow, Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States and Europe
Lauren M. Speranza, Director of Transatlantic Defense and Security, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
July 20 - Session 2: Climate Change Policy: Can the United States be a Credible Leader?
President Biden brought the United States back into the Paris Climate Agreement and appointed former Secretary of State John Kerry as his Climate Envoy to signal that climate change is the greatest long-term challenge confronting the U.S. and the world. Additionally, his proposed infrastructure plan includes more than $300 billion to efforts to curb climate change. How may these steps lead to greater transatlantic cooperation on efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change?
Panel:
Dr. Camilla Bausch, Scientific and Executive Director, Ecologic Institute
Samantha Gross, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative, Brookings Institution
Michael Mehling, Deputy Director, MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR)
July 21 - Session 1: Post-Covid Economic Recovery: Is Infrastructure the Answer?
President Biden has proposed a $2 trillion infrastructure plan that he states will upgrade roads, bridges, and water systems, expand digital access and broadband, hasten a shift to clean energy, and create millions of jobs. The EU’s $800 billion Recovery Fund also focuses on addressing climate change and the digital transformation as part of its economic recovery plan. What impact will these efforts have on the recovery and are there opportunities for transatlantic cooperation?
Panel:
Greg Lindsay, Director of Applied Research, NewCities; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council's Foresight, Strategy, and Risks Initiative
Brandie Lockett, City Designer, Houston Public Works, City of Houston
Thomas Puls, Senior Economist for Transportation and Infrastructure, Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft
Moderator:
Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President, American Council on Germany
July 21 - Session 2: Global Trade and Investment: Do Economic Ties Still Bind Europe and the U.S.?
The transatlantic economy remains the most important in the world comprising one-third of the world’s GDP, $6.2 trillion in commercial sales, 61 percent of inward FDI and 64 percent of outward FDI, as well as 27 percent of global exports and 32 percent of world imports. Currently, the U.S. economy is running on all cylinders with a forecast of 6-7 percent real GDP growth this year, while the Eurozone is still suffering. Greater cooperation could help the transatlantic community together recover better and faster.
Panel:
Dr. Laura von Daniels, Head of the Research Division, The Americas, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton, Director of the Global Europe Program and Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Distinguished Fellow, Wilson Center
Moderator:
Julia Friedlander, Deputy Director of the GeoEconomics Center and C. Boyden Gray Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
