American-German Institute

Transatlantic Transitions: Trump, the EU, and the Next German Government

In Frankfurt and Online Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 14:00 - 17:00 CET // 8:00 - 11:00am EST

Germany, Europe, and the United States are on the threshold of major transitions. The start of the second Trump administration will have significant consequences for the transatlantic partnership, and the February 2025 Bundestag election will yield a new federal coalition, with a mandate and presumably with a stable majority to govern Germany for the coming four years. With war on the European continent, a changing global economy, and increasing systemic rivalry, the stakes for both of our countries could not be higher. The state of Hesse, with its extreme interconnectedness in Europe, across the global financial architecture, and as a logistical hub for the world, will also play an important role in this regard.

This event will gather leading German and American voices to offer crucial insights into the major geoeconomic and security issues that will define the agenda this year and beyond.

Register:

Transatlantic Transitions Trump, the EU, and the Next German Government Germany, Europe, and the United States are on the threshold of major transitions. The start of the second Trump administration will have …

New podcast episode: The Issues Driving German Politics One Month from the Bundestag Election

With the German elections slated for February 23, Member of the Bundestag Omid Nouripour, a former national co-chairman of the Green Party, joins The Zeitgeist to discuss the issues shaping the campaign. He analyzes challenges that the next coalition will face and the outlook for transatlantic relations with a new U.S. administration.

Listen:

Episode 120: The Issues Driving German Politics One Month from the Bundestag Election With the German elections slated for February 23, Member of the Bundestag Omid Nouripour, a former national co-chairman of the Green Party, joins The Zeitgeist to discuss the issues shaping the campaign. …

Trust and Distrust in Civic Institutions: Generational Differences in Germany and the United States

Frank Reichert, DAAD/AGI Research Fellow

Trust in civic institutions, such as government, courts, or the media, is essential for the effective functioning of a political system and particularly critical for democratic societies where citizens collectively choose their political leadership in free elections. However, it appears that such trust is not particularly high in several Western democratic societies. The recent Edelman Trust Barometer suggests that developing countries, including authoritarian and non-democratically constituted societies, top the list, whereas established democracies rank relatively low in civic trust. For example, the United States and Germany were very similar in ranking, scoring only 46 and 45 out of 100 in 2024, down from 48 and 46 in 2023, respectively. These data indicate that the populations of both countries have relatively little trust and that they are becoming less trusting in civic institutions.

Read More:

Trust and Distrust in Civic Institutions Generational Differences in Germany and the United States Trust in civic institutions, such as government, courts, or the media, is essential for the effective functioning of a political system and …

AGI is now accepting applications for the DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program. The application deadline is February 16, 2025.

The DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program, funded by a generous grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), is designed to bring scholars and specialists working on key issues of central importance to the German-American relationship to AGI for research stays of up to six consecutive months each. Junior scholars and specialists are especially encouraged to apply. AGI offers several fellowships, which include a monthly stipend between approximately €2,800 and €3,200 (depending on the seniority of the applicant); transportation to and from Washington, DC; financial support for research-related travel to institutions within the DAAD center network (Centers for German and European Studies) in North America; and office space at the Institute. During their tenure, DAAD/AGI Research Fellows will be expected to present their research results at a workshop to the broader Washington, DC, policy community and produce a short analytical essay.

Learn more and apply:

DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program The DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program, funded by a generous grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), is designed to bring scholars and specialists working on key issues of central importance …

New Publication: Testing Democratic Resilience: Evidence from the United States and Germany

by Maria Skóra, DAAD/AGI Research Fellow

The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the pillars of democratic resilience in the United States and Germany. It focuses on the sources of resistance against threats to the rule of law and democracy, embracing both legal and institutional factors and social and cultural phenomena. The German and American political systems, societies, and traditions are very different. Therefore, a case study approach was applied, selecting empirical examples within each dimension of democratic resilience to enable comparisons and two-way knowledge transfer. In both the United States and Germany, the growing frustration with polarization and fatigue with partisan competition have not yet damaged the support for democracy, which provides an anchor for democratic resilience. But if combined with continued systemic erosion and institutional weaknesses, the declining social and cultural dimensions of democratic resilience might not be sufficient to prevent and withstand autocratic episodes in the future.

Read more:

Testing Democratic Resilience Evidence from the United States and Germany The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the pillars of democratic resilience in the United States and Germany. It focuses on the …

Last month, AGI honored Martin Daum, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck Holding AG and Daimler Truck AG with the Global Leadership Award. The Award recognizes the achievements of business and government leaders who have advanced the transatlantic partnership, and we are proud to recognize Mr. Daum's commitment to sustainability and innovation in the transportation industry on both sides of the Atlantic.

We are grateful to our many partners and hashtag sponsors for their support of our Institute. Thank you especially to AGI Trustee Dr. Jill McGovern, who shared a greeting from President Biden; Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, who shared a greeting from Chancellor Scholz; Martin Richenhagen for presenting the award to Mr. Daum; Pink Martini for providing the evening's entertainment; and our Global Leader Sponsors Penske and Commerzbank.

https://americangerman.institute/2024/11/martin-daum-receives-global-leadership-award/

Today is . In 2024, AGI hosted eight resident fellows, put on over 30 events online and throughout the United States and Germany, and published over 60 articles, podcasts, and publications. In 2025, as new governments set their agendas in both the United States and Germany, we will continue to identify the most important political, economic, and security issues confronting both countries; help each country better understand the other; and strengthen ties between governments, business, civil society, and academic institutions.

Our work is only possible thanks to the support of our generous donors. Join this global day of philanthropy and invest in the transatlantic partnership with a gift to AGI: https://aicgs.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate

In September 2024, participants in hashtag traveled to New York City for site visits and discussions about q***r activism and rights, including a trip to the Stonewall National Monument. In 1969, the Stonewall riots against police harassment and brutality launched what would become an international movement for LGBTQ+ rights. Two participants, Phuong Tran and Lennart Linke, join the Zeitgeist to reflect on how Stonewall impacted the LGBTQ+ movement globally, how it influenced German and American culture, and why historical memory is important when addressing today’s civil rights challenges.

Listen to our latest podcast on the transatlantic legacy of Stonewall:

Episode 114: The Transatlantic Legacy of Stonewall In September 2024, participants in AGI’s project “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future” traveled to New York City for site visits and discussions …

New Report: Transatlantic Cooperation in the Next U.S. Administration

Tackling global challenges requires cooperation with allies and partners, and as one of the world’s largest economies, a NATO ally, and a democratic partner, Germany remains indispensable to the United States in advancing our shared values and interests.

In this report, AGI presents recommendations on pressing issues that the next administration will face, and how the United States can work with its closest partners such as Germany and Europe to achieve its goals. We seek in this report, wherever possible, to identify approaches and options that could be adapted to either election outcome, though we acknowledge where gaps appear unbridgeable and the courses of a Trump or a Harris administration would inevitably diverge. Our authors find crucial opportunities for the transatlantic partnership and the relationship with Germany.

Read more:

Transatlantic Cooperation in the Next U.S. Administration The next U.S. president will be confronted with a plethora of global challenges: war in Europe, a disordered trading system, growing geopolitical competition and a more assertive China, disruptive new …

Call for Applications!

Through discussions and study tours, builds and deepens relationships between LGBTQ+ community representatives from Germany and the United States; increases understanding of shared struggles and successes in the past, present, and future; and fosters expertise on LGBTQ+ issues in the transatlantic context, generating innovative cross-cultural results with great public and policy impact. AGI is recruiting fourteen participants (seven from Germany, seven from the United States) for the third program year, which will take place in Washington, DC, from September 16-21, 2025, and Berlin from March 24-29, 2026.

Learn more and apply:

Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future AGI is now accepting applications for year three of a new exchange project. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025. The AGI three-year project will explore LGBTQ+ community-building in …

New podcast episode: Eastern State Elections and Their Implications for National Politics

In state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to first and second place, respectively, with over 30 percent of the vote in both states. The left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW)—only in existence since January—came in third in both states, receiving more votes than any party in the current national governing coalition. This episode of The Zeitgeist examines what motivated voters to leave mainstream parties for the political extremes, what dynamics are at play as the parties must now try to find coalition governments, and how the results could impact national policies now and the upcoming federal elections in 2025.

Listen:

Episode 112: Eastern State Elections and Their Implications for National Politics In state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to first and second place, respectively, with over 30 percent of the vote in both states. …

New podcast episode: The Continued Strength of the AfD

The eastern German states of Saxony and Thuringia will vote in state elections on September 1, and Brandenburg will vote on September 22. The populist radical-right Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD) finished in second place in the 2024 European Parliament elections, and they are polling in first place in all three states. What explains the growing strength of the party, despite its increasing extremism and a series of recent scandals? AGI Non-Resident Senior Fellow Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger joins The Zeitgeist to discuss the strong performances of the AfD, what attracts voters to the party (and its extreme-left counterpart, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, BSW), and how governing parties are responding to this changing and fragmenting political landscape.

Listen now:

Episode 110: The Continued Strength of the AfD The eastern German states of Saxony and Thuringia will vote in state elections on September 1, and Brandenburg will vote on September 22. The populist radical-right Alternative for Germany (Alternative …

We are pleased to announce the second cohort of the AGI project, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future.” This group of 7 Americans and 7 Germans will travel to New York City and Munich for week-long study tours that, through meetings with policymakers, activists, and cultural and educational institutions, will examine LGBTQ+ rights in both countries.

Learn more about our 2024-2025 hashtag cohort:

Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States (2024-2025) Past, Present, and Future LGBTQ+ individuals and their communities have been organizing to assert their rights for over a century, especially in Germany and the United States—two countries that were …

New Podcast Episode: The Role of Germany’s Anti-Semitism Commissioners

In 2019, the federal states established the Joint Federal and State Commission to Fight Anti-Semitism and Protect Jewish Life. This initiative builds on Germany’s decades-long political and civil society efforts to atone for the N**i crimes of the Holocaust and resulted in the creation of state-level Commissioners for Jewish Life and the Fight against Anti-Semitism. Hessen’s Commissioner Uwe Becker joins this episode of the Zeitgeist to discuss the role of these commissioners, how they work together, and how Germany can combat growing anti-Semitism.

Listen:

Episode 108: The Role of Germany’s Anti-Semitism Commissioners In 2019, the federal states established the Joint Federal and State Commission to Fight Anti-Semitism and Protect Jewish Life. This initiative builds on Germany’s decades-long political and civil society efforts …

New podcast episode: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion and the Economy

On this episode of The Zeitgeist, guest host Dr. Eric Langenbacher speaks with two participants of the AGI exchange program, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States.” Simon Schütz and Dr. Thomas O. Haakenson discuss the economic cost of discriminating against LGBTQ+ employees and customers, the U.S. and German legal landscape around discrimination, and associations that advocate for and promote LGBTQ+ businesses.

Listen now:

Episode 106: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion and the Economy On this episode of The Zeitgeist, guest host Dr. Eric Langenbacher speaks with two participants of the AGI exchange program, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States.” Simon …

Episode 104: Germany Grapples with a World of Fragile Security

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced Germany’s government and public to think urgently about the threats to their security. Dr. Christian Mölling joins The Zeitgeist to discuss how politicians and the public have evolved from a peace-focused society to one that understands the need for strong defense. What must Germany do, and how quickly, to be ready for today’s threats? Can it move beyond responding to crises pragmatically to having a strategic vision for its and Europe’s security?

Listen:

Episode 104: Germany Grapples with a World of Fragile Security The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced Germany’s government and public to think urgently about the threats to their security. Dr. Christian Mölling joins The Zeitgeist to discuss how …

New Podcast Episode: Elections and the European Economy

Elections in Europe and the United States this year could have significant impacts on the European economy. The outcomes will influence how the transatlantic partners address the challenge from China as well as the role of the existing global economic order. It could also raise new questions about Germany’s economic Zeitewende and its position within the EU. European economics editor at The Economist Christian Odendahl joins The Zeitgeist to discuss what is at stake for the German and European economies in 2024.

Listen:

Episode 103: Elections and the European Economy Elections in Europe and the United States this year could have significant impacts on the European economy. The outcomes will influence how the transatlantic partners address the challenge from China …

New Podcast Episode: The Trends Driving Europe’s Future

Every four years, the U.S. National Intelligence Council publishes its Global Trends report, an unclassified document that seeks to assess the key factors that shape the strategic environment for the United States and help U.S. authorities plan for future developments. The next edition will be released early in 2025. National Intelligence Officer for Europe Dr. Phyllis Berry joins The Zeitgeist to discuss what factors will impact the future of Europe and transatlantic relations: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the ability of Europe to return to economic growth, and growing political fragmentation.

Listen:

Episode 102: The Trends Driving Europe’s Future Every four years, the U.S. National Intelligence Council publishes its Global Trends report, an unclassified document that seeks to assess the key factors that shape the strategic environment for the …