About Us

London – a multi-cultural city with 8 million people and home to the world’s largest Stock Exchange - plays an important role in the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s (KAS) network of representations around the world. With its office in London the KAS not only acts as a representative to the UK, but also to Ireland and the 4 Nordic countries.
Characterizing all of these countries are their scepticism and their hesitation towards the european monetary union, the EU and its enlargement. One of the main aims of the London office is to create a large network of contacts in the political, economical and media field in these countries in order to organise roundtable discussions and debates.
In the light of the EU-enlargement the office coordinates and oversees projects, e.g. seminars and conferences in the Baltic Sea region in cooperation with the local KAS offices in the Baltic States and Poland.
Since its establishment in 1981 the London branch has seen it as its primary purpose to initiate and intensify a dialogue about the future shape of Europe by focusing on current affairs. Over the years this has crystallized in numerous roundtable conferences, dinner-discussions, and one-day seminars, on varying issues like the euro-zone, foreign politics, transatlantic relations, and defence and security matters.

The office is run by Thomas B. Stehling - director since 2001, previously head of Media Projects of KAS in Asia (1996-2001), a lawyer of profession with a background in television and media in Germany, together with an office manager and a research assistant, who help with implementing and overseeing the various activities and events.

20 years of British-German Parliamentary Meetings
Over the years the London office has paid particular attention to Britain’s role in the European unification process and as a result the annual British-German Parliamentary meeting was established in 1984. For the past 20 years this German-British dialogue has been held in the former summer residence of Konrad Adenauer on Lake Como in Italy and as the ties between the politicians from the parliaments in London and Berlin grew stronger over the years, the meetings have developed into open and informal round-table discussions.

Observer and player
Since the founding of the London office, the KAF has established a considerable network of contacts with politicians, journalists, academics and representatives from industry and finance.
It keeps close links to and participates in joint programmes with think tanks, research centres, city councils and universities, and consolidates a close cooperation with the EPP-ED member parties in all the countries it represents. The KAS in London is an initiator in the current debate and organises luncheon and dinner discussions on a regular basis where prominent guests speak to a hand-picked audience.
A vital part of the daily work in the London office is to follow and observe the political development and agenda closely in all 6 countries and communicate it via the internet, newsletters and reports.
Political programmes for visiting delegations from Germany and the countries represented are planned and carried out by the London office, as it also arranges visitors’ programmes for politicians visiting Germany and educational trips in the UK for students from the KAS Academy in Germany.

Nordic and Baltic cooperation
Since 2001 the KAS in London has been engaged in a dialogue with Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The annual Conference of Young Parliamentarians from Northern Europe was originally set up to improve relations between younger members of the German Bundestag and the parliaments of the Nordic countries. In the light of the EU-enlargement, representatives from the Baltic States and Poland were also invited in 2002 and 2003.
Another annual meeting, called the “Best Practice Exchange”, has been organised on topics as education, local governance and the Welfare State. These events proove to be an ideal platform to exchange views and opinions.

Konrad Adenauer Lecture
The Konrad Adenauer Memorial lectures, established at Oxford in cooperation with St. Antony’s College, are designed to honour Chancellor Adenauer’s memory and to inform the British people about the Federal Republic of Germany. Konrad Adenauer was a strong defender of parliamentary democracy and his commitment to European integration was well known. The lectures reflect on different aspects of Adenauer‘s important legacy and most of the memorial lectures have appeared in print.
Speakers included distinguished statesmen and historians such as Dr. Helmut Kohl, Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, Volker Rühe, Prof. Dr. B. Vogel, Prof. Dr. Kurt Biedenkopf, Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Schwarz and Prime Minister Roland Koch have been speakers.