A reception at the KAS USA office drew well over 100 guests. In his remarks, Prof. Lammert posed two questions: “Do our countries still share a common understanding of our collective security? Do we still agree on our shared contribution to humanity in a globalized world?”
He expressed hope that the future of the transatlantic relationship “might be as complicated as it always was in the past, but that it will still be the reliable framework under which European and American governments and parliaments work.”
Prof. Lammert emphasized that Europeans and Americans together represent a small minority in the global population: “Therefore, it makes sense to cooperate, to work together.”
He also quoted Konrad Adenauer, who warned in 1950 that Europe could not forever live on the grace of the United States. Prof. Lammert concluded that the time has come for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own affairs. In his words, the alliance needs a strong European pillar—an essential component of a robust transatlantic partnership in the future.
