Recent Highlights

The American Council on Germany holds policy discussions in New York City, across the United States, and in Germany on an ongoing basis.

On September 17, the ACG was delighted to welcome Dr. Jens Jokisch, Germany’s new Consul General in New York, to meet with ACG members just two weeks into his new post. We had a lively exchange on Germany’s domestic and foreign policy challenges, the future of the transatlantic relationship, AI and digitalization, university cooperation, economic and social issues, and much more. Dr. Jokisch also shared fascinating stories from more than two decades in Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, including his time as Commissioner for Crisis Management and his remarkable experience in Syria.

While this is Dr. Jokisch’s first posting in the United States, he has long followed U.S. foreign policy closely — and, as he shared with us, has always wanted to live in America.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 “𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦” 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴?

During an ACG discussion on Tuesday, July 28, 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐮𝐬𝐠𝐞𝐧 spoke candidly to a packed room of ACG members and friends, drawing on his experience as a diplomat and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Foreign Policy Advisor.

He argued that respect for international law, multilateral institutions, and the rules-based order remains essential in an increasingly fragmented world – and he urged policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic not to abandon the UN, NATO, or the EU, despite recent violations of international law. Ambassador Heusgen warned that the consequences of weakening these long-standing multinational institutions will be felt on the global stage.

Germany’s Zeitenwende: Four Years On”

On April 29, nearly 100 members and friends of the American Council on Germany gathered to hear from former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz regarding Germany’s strategic outlook in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The event included active audience participation and was held under the Chatham House Rule. In his historic speech before the Bundestag in February 2022, Chancellor Scholz framed the war in Ukraine – and Germany’s response – as part of a broader geopolitical shift, and coined the term Zeitenwende (turning point).

On March 10, the American Council on Germany, 1014, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy held a discussion – generously hosted by KPMG – with foreign policy experts Robin Quinville, former Chargé d’ Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Germany, and Peter Sparding, author of No Better Friend? The United States and Germany since 1945. After opening remarks from Frank Serpe, Program Manager at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, and Katja Wiesbrock Donovan, Executive Director of 1014, ACG President Dr. Steven E. Sokol opened the discussion by reflecting on the transatlantic relationship: Together Europe and the United States helped build the institutions, norms, and alliances that shaped global politics after 1945. While never perfect, the resulting international system provided a degree of stability, predictability, and shared purpose that defined the postwar era. Today, however, that system is under increasing strain as many governments around the world adopt a more transactional and interest-driven approach to foreign policy, creating uncertainty about the future of the international order.