A Transatlantic Perspective on Current Events Shaping Trade and Foreign Policy - Foundation Office Washington, D.C.
Event Reports
This year’s annual visit of the young German leaders to the United States took place on September 15th, 2014 at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. KAS invited Dr. Charles Ludolph, the founder and current president of the Transnational Analytics, also known for his continuous commitment to a deeper transatlantic economic relationship, and Dr. Stephan Szabo, Executive Director of the Transatlantic Academy, who discussed the German-American relations in light of current events.
Dr. Ludolph provided an overview of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) from an American perspective. He especially emphasized the treaty’s geopolitical character that would help to reenergize the U.S.-EU partnership. Concerning the constant drift of Europe towards Russia and the increasing U.S. focus on Asia, the historical transatlantic core values and interests should not be neglected. Therefore, Dr. Ludolph regards the transatlantic relations still as highly relevant for the U.S. although it might be weakening. In his opinion the best time politically to conclude TTIP is by the end of 2015.
The new TTIP agreement will not only be a trade treaty but it will also encourage increasing flows in investment, Dr. Ludolph projected. Market access for multinationals would be simplified by converging regulatory systems. These common standards can then possibly create a unified economic position in the world, also referred to the “goldstandard”. A strategic advantage TTIP has over other free trade agreements is that we share an already existing common political infrastructure when dealing with labor and environmental standards. For the same reason, the free trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico has been so difficult to maintain.
The discussion at the end dealt first and foremost with the German skepticism towards any common agricultural interests with the U.S. Concerns about too many differences in standards within this field seem to dominate the German discourse.
The second key note speaker of the day was Dr. Stephen Szabo from the Transatlantic Academy. His remarks dealt with a variety of issues within the broader spectrum of U.S.-German relations focusing especially on how Americans currently view Germany. Within this framework he began to describe the prevailing US fatigue in its world engagement and its recent focus on domestic issues. The increasing threat by ISIS, however, changed this perception to some extent. In this regard, and also considering the current developments in the Ukraine, Dr. Szabo stressed that the U.S. has great hopes towards Germany to take on a leading role. This is especially pertinent because of the declining economic role of France and the uncertainty of the domestic developments in the UK. Subsequently, Dr. Szabo also emphasized the general positive perception of Germany within the U.S. regarding its flourishing economy, its functional social system and lower levels of income inequality.
Apart from this, Dr. Szabo stressed policy issues of continuing transatlantic divide especially with regard to various intelligence matters involving the NSA and other Western intelligence agencies. There is great need for raising awareness of policy differences and the political rationales behind them. With regard to the U.S. Dr. Szabo stressed the prevailing priority in preventing another 9/11. In addition, he described the concern American decision makers have of Russia’s increasing influence in Germany.
All in all, the roundtable discussion provided a beneficial opportunity for a mutual exchange of ideas and opinions on issues of contemporary and future transatlantic collaboration between German-American political experts. It became apparent during the discussion that we are experiencing unusual weak transatlantic networks which need strengthened through exchange programs and by educating more regional experts. The discussion reflected the many existing challenges the transatlantic partnership is facing nowadays. These types of dialogues are critical to better the understanding of what motivates and drives policy decisions across the Atlantic. Supporting such open and frank discussions is something the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung will have to continue.
