KAS

Professor Kalypso from the University of Oxford moderated the first panel discussion on the subject of European and transatlantic security policy and the new possibilities for security and defence cooperation following Brexit and the US presidential election. A further topic during the first session was the role of the “special relationship” between the United States and the UK. On the panel were the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the German Bundestag, Dr Norbert Röttgen and the Bundestag member and Parliamentary Secretary of State for the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Dr. Günter Krings. The British side was represented by Professor Dr Anthony Glees from the University of Buckingham. Furthermore, Dr Jeffrey Gedmin from the Atlantic Council looked at recent events from a transatlantic perspective.

The second panel discussion focused on regional trade, TTIP following the US presidential elections and the European Economic area against the background of Brexit. Freya Lemcke from the DIHK, economics and finance expert, Graham Bishop, and Marianne Schneider-Petsinger from Chatham House discussed the consequences of leaving the EU for trade between Germany/the EU and the UK, as well as the expectations for TTIP discussions under President-elect Donald Trump.

Finally, the implications of Brexit for migration and the European responses to the refugee crisis were discussed. Special emphasis was placed not only on European border control, but also on the political implications around the question of strengthening rightwing populist parties in Europe. The German ambassador to the UK, Dr. Peter Ammon, presented Germany’s political engagement to date, as well as the future of European cooperation going forward. Professor Cathryn Costello from the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford gave a comprehensive overview of the developments of the refugee movement in recent years, in particular as a consequence of the civil war in Syria. Dr Ruben Andersson, also from the University of Oxford, analysed the handling of these challenges in Europe and the anticipated consequences of Brexit.

The discussions on trade and migration post-Brexit were moderated Dr Jonathan Leader Maynard from the University of Oxford.