Details

The opening talk of June 16:

Since the beginning of the year, the spread of COVID-19 is having severe consequences – also for foreign and security policy. The crisis has accelerated power shifts in international affairs, in particular because the US is stepping back from its traditional role as a global leader while China and Russia are purposefully taking advantage of the remaining power vacuum. Furthermore, the virus has fatal consequences for the EU neighbourhood, spanning from Western Africa to the Middle East, which is already suffering from terrorism, internal conflicts, and state fragility. A humanitarian catastrophe as a consequence of the pandemic could further exacerbate these problems. In view of these crises and worldwide changes, Europe’s capacity to act is under scrutiny more than ever before. In July 2020, Germany will assume the presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time in 13 years. In consequence, there are high expectations towards Germany to find answers to these security challenges. At the same time, the pandemic has multiple implications for German security policy, from the role of its armed forces in overcoming the Corona crisis to the growth prospects of the German defence budget.

During the 8th “Adenauer Conference” about Germany’s role in international security affairs, these challenges and the possibilities to manage them shall be discussed with political decision-makers and experts from research, academia, and the military. This year, the well-known event will take place in a digital setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the kick-off of the conference on Tuesday, 16 June, at 7.00 pm, Prof. Dr Norbert Lammert, Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and Former President of the German Bundestag, will be discussing the consequences of the Corona virus for German defence policy with Federal Minister of Defence and Head of the CDU Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Dr Jana Puglierin, head of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

On the following days, 17 June and 18 June, we will continue the 8th “Adenauer Conference” with two webinars at 5.00 pm respectively. These will focus on Germany’s security and defence policy priorities for its presidency of the EU Council as well as the geopolitical implications of the upcoming US presidential elections.