American Council On Germany

Germany Event: “Redefining Soft Power vs Return of the Strong Man – Women in the Diplomatic Service in the US and Germany”
2026-04-23 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
The American Council on Germany, in cooperation with 1014 Deutschland e.V. and various American Centers in Germany, will host a speaking tour for former U.S. diplomat Robin Quinville. In five cities, she will engage with local audiences and experts to explore the current state and future of German-American relations amid shifting global dynamics. These events will highlight both the challenges and opportunities facing the transatlantic community today. Each stop will feature a unique discussion – tailored to each community – addressing key themes such as geopolitical change, democratic resilience, and the evolving role of transatlantic cooperation in a complex global order.
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Join us April 23 in Freiburg in conversation with two women with extensive careers as diplomats – representing the US and Germany. Robin Quinville and Dr. Christine Althauser will compare notes on their careers as women in the US-American and the German Foreign Service and also look into the future on how international and especially trans-Atlantic relations are upheld by the Foreign Service. In particular, they will discuss, what women can bring to the table in today’s more challenging negotiation climate.
For 80 years, the transatlantic alliance served as the backbone of a rules-based liberal order. Today, that order is eroding—and the United States is increasingly signaling a move away from the multilateral commitments and institutional leadership that once defined its global role. With Washington adopting a more interest-driven, transactional posture, Europe faces a strategic moment of truth. What does transatlantic cooperation look like when the old assumptions no longer hold? Can Europe become a more autonomous partner—and what kind of global governance model might replace the one now fading?
RSVP HERE to Secure Your Spot!
Robin Quinville is the former Director of the Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program. She spent more than 30 years as a U.S. diplomat, having served primarily in Europe – including postings to two multilateral organizations (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and NATO) and bilateral postings to Cyprus, Bosnia, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Germany. She also spent a year in Baghdad, Iraq. In Washington, she directed the Office of Western European Affairs at the Department of State and served as a Wilson Center State Department Fellow for a year. Her last foreign posting was as the Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany.
Ms. Quinville holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Smith College. She is widely recognized for her expertise in European affairs, alliance politics, and transatlantic cooperation.
Dr. Christine D. Althauser joined the Federal German Foreign Office in 1987, where she began her career in the diplomatic service. After earning her doctorate, she served at the German Embassy in Moscow from 1997 to 2000, served in the Netherlands as well as at the European Council in Strasbourg and was German Ambassador to North Macedonia from 2014 to 2017, as well as Consul General in Shanghai from 2017 to 2021. Today, Dr. Althauser works in international diplomatic training in Berlin and continues to work on issues related to international relations with China, Russia, and Eastern Europe, as well as on questions of European integration, including for the Federal Foreign Office.

Cleveland Event: “Almost One Year In: An Assessment of Friedrich Merz and His Coalition Government”
2026-04-23 13:00 - 14:30
The Cleveland Eric M. Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany cordially invites you to a Lunch Discussion on “Almost One Year In: An Assessment of Friedrich Merz and His Coalition Government” with Nadine Lindner, Journalist, Deutschlandradio.

Reserve Your Spot HERE by Tuesday, April 21.
Nadine Lindner has been a Correspondent in the Berlin studio of “Deutschlandradio” since early 2016. Among other things, Ms. Lindner is responsible for the news coverage of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the German parliament. Ms. Lindner studied Political Science at Leipzig University in Saxony and discovered her enthusiasm for radio at the training station “mephisto 97.6.” After graduating from university, she worked as a freelance journalist for “MDR sputnik” and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as well as Deutschlandradio. She completed her journalistic training at Deutschlandradio in Berlin. In 2013, Ms. Lindner moved back to Saxony as a regional correspondent for Deutschlandradio, where she covered the early evolution of the AfD and the anti-asylum movement Pegida. In 2024, she received the prize from the Bundespressekonferenz, the association of capital studio journalists, for her reporting about the AfD and Eastern Germany.
With support from the Goethe-Institut USA

Boston Event: Foreign Correspondent Unplugged on “Covering Democracy: Media, Politics, and Public Opinion on both Sides of the Atlantic”
2026-04-24 18:00 - 20:00
The American Council on Germany and the Goethe-Institut cordially invite you to a discussion as part of the series Foreign Correspondent Unplugged on “Covering Democracy: Media, Politics, and Public Opinion on both Sides of the Atlantic” with Nadine Lindner, Journalist, Deutschlandradio and Renée Loth, Opinion Columnist and Former Editor, The Boston Globe, moderated by Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President and CEO, The American Council on Germany.
Join the American Council on Germany and the Goethe-Institut for an installment of our Foreign Correspondent Unplugged series, which delves into current political debates on both sides of the Atlantic.
Political debates in both Germany and the United States are increasingly shaped not only by elections and policy decisions, but also by the narratives and interpretations that emerge in the media. As polarization deepens and political movements evolve, journalists and opinion writers play a crucial role in helping the public make sense of fast-moving political developments.
Join two accomplished voices from their respective national media landscape for a conversation about politics, public discourse, and the changing role of journalism. Nadine Lindner, an award-winning correspondent for Deutschlandradio known for her reporting on the rise of the Alternative for Germany and political developments in eastern Germany, will be joined by Renée Loth, an opinion columnist at The Boston Globe and former editorial page editor of the newspaper. Drawing on decades of reporting and commentary, they will explore how political journalism and opinion writing shape public understanding of major political trends – from the evolution of party politics in Germany to the forces transforming American democracy – and what audiences on each side of the Atlantic often misunderstand about the other.
This event is part of a week-long speaking tour by Nadine Lindner to five U.S. cities titled “State(s) of Democracy: A German Journalist’s Journey to the U.S. in 2026.”
Nadine Lindner has been a Correspondent in the Berlin studio of “Deutschlandradio” since early 2016. Among other things, Ms. Lindner is responsible for the news coverage of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the German parliament. Ms. Lindner studied Political Science at Leipzig University in Saxony, and discovered her enthusiasm for radio at the training station “mephisto 97.6.” After graduating from university, she worked as a freelance journalist for “MDR sputnik” and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as well as Deutschlandradio. She completed her journalistic training at Deutschlandradio in Berlin. In 2013, Ms. Lindner moved back to Saxony as a regional correspondent for Deutschlandradio, where she covered the early evolution of the AfD and the anti-asylum movement Pegida. In 2024, she received the prize from the Bundespressekonferenz, the association of capital studio journalists, for her reporting about the AfD and Eastern Germany.
Renée Loth was a Goldsmith Fellow at the Shorenstein Center. She is a columnist for the Boston Globe and is the newspaper’s former editorial page editor. In that capacity, Ms. Loth was the highest-ranking woman at the Globe for nine years. Ms. Loth holds a journalism degree from Boston University, where she edited the campus newspaper during the 1970s. She then edited the East Boston Community News, worked as a political reporter for the Boston Phoenix and later became associate editor of New England Monthly magazine. In 1985, Ms. Loth was hired by the Boston Globe as a staff writer for the Sunday magazine. She went on to cover Governor Dukakis and other politicians as a State House bureau reporter. In 1992, Ms. Loth covered the presidential campaign, inaugurating the popular Ad Watch column analyzing TV political ads. She became the political editor in 1993, and deputy editor of the editorial page in 1994. She is a regular contributor to local and national news panels and is vice-chair of the board of PEN-New England. With the support of traveling journalism fellowships, she has reported from 14 countries.
Dr. Steven E. Sokol (moderator) has been the President and CEO of the American Council on Germany since 2015. Previously, he served as President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and prior to that he was the Vice President and Director of Programs at the American Council on Germany. Earlier in his career, Dr. Sokol worked at the Aspen Institute Berlin and in the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He holds a Doctorate from Northeastern University as well as an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. He has also studied at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg and as a Fulbright Scholar at the Freie Universität in Berlin.
There is no cost to attend this event. Register Below by April 22nd.

Virtual Event - Kaffeepause: What's Abuzz in Berlin?
2026-04-27 09:00 - 10:00
The ACG regularly hosts discussions with a journalist based in Berlin on the topics making the headlines and shaping political discourse. Join us on Monday, April 27, at 9:00 am for a Kaffeepause with Dr. Melanie Amann, Member of the Editorial Team, DER SPIEGEL. r. Melanie Amann is a Member of the Editorial Team at DER SPIEGEL. She studied Law in Trier, Aix-en-Provence, and Berlin, and received her doctorate from the LMU Munich. From 2003 to 2004, she spent a year at the German School of Journalism in Munich. After working as an editor at the Financial Times Deutschland, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, she moved to SPIEGEL in Berlin in 2013. From February 2019 until September 2025, she headed SPIEGEL’s capital city bureau, together with Sebastian Fischer, Christoph Hickmann, and Martin Knobbe. She was a member of the editorial board from May 2021 until September 2025.

Germany Event: “Reimagining the Transatlantic Partnership: What a Strong Europe Means for the United States and Europe”
2026-04-27 18:30 - 20:00
The American Council on Germany, in cooperation with 1014 Deutschland e.V. and various American Centers in Germany, will host a speaking tour for former U.S. diplomat Robin Quinville. In five cities, she will engage with local audiences and experts to explore the current state and future of German-American relations amid shifting global dynamics. These events will highlight both the challenges and opportunities facing the transatlantic community today. Each stop will feature a unique discussion – tailored to each community – addressing key themes such as geopolitical change, democratic resilience, and the evolving role of transatlantic cooperation in a complex global order.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
For 80 years, the transatlantic alliance has served as the backbone of a rules-based international order. Today, that liberal order is eroding – and the United States is increasingly signaling a move away from the multilateral commitments and institutional leadership that once defined its global role. With Washington adopting a more interest-driven, transactional posture, Europe faces a strategic moment of truth. What does trans-Atlantic cooperation look like when the old assumptions no longer hold? Can Europe become a more autonomous partner – and what kind of global governance model might replace the framework that is now fading?
Join us in Berlin April 27 for an event bringing together leading foreign policy experts from both sides of the Atlantic to explore these questions and chart possible paths forward for the trans-Atlantic partnership: Robin Quinville, former Director of the Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program and former Charge d ’Affaires at the U.S. Mission to Germany; and Claudia Major, Senior Vice President, Transatlantic Security at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Moderated by award-winning journalist Vladimir Balzer.
RSVP HERE to Secure Your Spot!
Robin Quinville is the former Director of the Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program. She spent more than 30 years as a U.S. diplomat, having served primarily in Europe – including postings to two multilateral organizations (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and NATO) and bilateral postings to Cyprus, Bosnia, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Germany. She also spent a year in Baghdad, Iraq. In Washington, she directed the Office of Western European Affairs at the Department of State and served as a Wilson Center State Department Fellow for a year. Her last foreign posting was as the Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany.
Ms. Quinville holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Smith College. She is widely recognized for her expertise in European affairs, alliance politics, and transatlantic cooperation.
Dr. Claudia Major is GMF’s senior vice president overseeing the organization’s transatlantic security and defense work, and an executive team member. Previously, Dr. Major was the director of the International Security Division at the German think tank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) in Berlin.
Her research, advisory work, and publications focus on German, European and transatlantic security and defense policy, NATO, deterrence and nuclear (dis)order, defense industry, and the Franco-German relationship. Currently, she is particularly focused on the repercussions of Russia’s war against Ukraine for Europe, the transatlantic relationship, and the nuclear order; options to end the war in Ukraine; and ways to ensure the long-term security of Europe and Ukraine.
Dr. Major previously held positions at the Center for Security Studies at the ETH Zurich, the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the EU Institute for Security Studies (Paris), the NATO Department of the German Foreign Office, and Sciences Po Paris. She was and is a member of various committees, including the Advisory Board for Civilian Crisis Prevention of the German Federal Foreign Office (2010-2024) and the Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry of Defense on “leadership development and civic education” (lnnere Führung) (since 2023). She holds a diploma from the Free University of Berlin and Sciences Po Paris and a PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK).
Vladimir Balzer is an award-winning journalist who grew up in Leipzig and studied in Dublin, Venice, and Leipzig. He began his career as a presenter, reporter, and editor at Deutschlandradio and MDR. Mr. Balzer hosts, among other programs, the daily program “Fazit – Kultur vom Tage” on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. In 2022, he was selected to be a Kellen Fellow by the American Council on Germany. In 2023, he started as a correspondent at Deutschlandfunk’s capital city studio in Berlin. He is known as a commentator for German television, such as ZDF. He also regularly reports for his broadcaster from the U.S.

NYC Event: “Germany’s Zeitenwende: Four Years On”
2026-04-29 12:00 - 14:00
The American Council on Germany will host a discussion and luncheon on “Germany’s Zeitenwende: Four Years On” with H.E. Olaf Scholz, Former German Federal Chancellor (2021-2025) and Member of the Bundestag (SPD).
Olaf Scholz (born 14 June 1958) served as the Federal Chancellor of Germany from 2021 to 2025. He led the first Ampelkoalition (“traffic light coalition,” consisting of Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats), at the federal level. Immediately following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 20222, Chancellor Scholz held a historic speech in the Bundestag announcing a massive shift in the tenets of German foreign policy and defense spending.
A member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Olaf Scholz was elected to the Bundestag from 1998 to 2011. Before being elected Chancellor, he served as Vice Chancellor in the fourth Merkel cabinet and as Federal Minister of Finance from 2018 to 2021, during which time he oversaw management of the emergency funding package during the Covid-19 Pandemic. He was also First Mayor of Hamburg from 2011 to 2018, deputy leader of the SPD from 2009 to 2019, and Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs from 2007 to 2009.
Federal Chancellor Scholz studied law at the University of Hamburg from 1978 to 1984. After earning his degree in 1985, he established his own firm in Hamburg specializing in labor law.

New York Event - German-American Conference
2026-05-11 08:00 - 17:00
The American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke will host the annual German-American Conference on May 11 in New York City.
As geopolitical competition intensifies and technology becomes a defining arena of global power, the German-American partnership faces steep challenges that often overshadow unique opportunities. This year’s German-American conference brings together leaders from business, government, and academia to examine how the United States and Germany can navigate a shifting strategic landscape and account for citizens’ welfare in societies where the social contract appears to crack under the weight of industrial, technological, and financial competition.
Against the backdrop of accelerating technological innovation, supply chain reconfiguration, and evolving regulatory frameworks, our discussions will explore how transatlantic partners can align their approaches to artificial intelligence, critical minerals, digital governance, and financial innovation. As the backbone of all modern digital infrastructure, chips and semiconductors have become a strategic linchpin, making their secure production and supply a critical priority. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the competitiveness of Western companies, the vulnerabilities exposed by global dependencies, and the prospects for deeper cooperation to secure both resilient technology ecosystems and societal adaptation— the great affordability question.
By convening a diverse group of experts and practitioners, the American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke aim to generate actionable insights on safeguarding economic vitality. In a world where economic and technological decisions carry far-reaching geopolitical implications, strengthening transatlantic dialogue is not just prudent — it is essential.
