The Trump White House: An Inside View on Transatlantic Cooperation and Global Issues
A report from the political stage on transatlantic cooperation, one year after Trump’s election, given by Jürgen Hardt, MdB. Followed by a discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Sabine Sielke and Dr. Peter Schierling on future developments of international relations and position of the US and EU.
Prof. Dr. Sabine Sielke (Director of the North American Studies Program and Mentor at the Foundation of German Business) gave a brief introduction to the theme of changed and changing international relations, after one year of US under Trump administration. Dr. Peter Schniering (Schumacher Industrial Advisory; Former adviser to UNFCCC and the International Energy Agency) elaborated on US position as a leader and powerful player in different fields, and stressed the importance of sustaining transatlantic cooperation, for both sides.
Jürgen Hardt, with his experience from the international political stage, added to and completed the picture of current international relations; juxtaposing US with EU’s position, and pointing out EU’s asset over the US.
At hand of organization and mainstreaming of climate action, stark differences in thought and action between governmental and local level in US politics are illustrated; see the two separate and contrasting US delegations at #COP23, too.
Internal disagreements on how to govern becomes ever more evident, potentially slowing down US overall progress, making them fall behind, and, in the long-run, potentially costing them their position as an incumbent on different international political fields. Hardt explained his vision for the EU, how it will subsequently position itself, in case the situation realizes.
However, for the EU it is still difficult to predict US future behavior; Hardt pointing out EU’s “Illusion of Intimacy”, feeling close to and as if knowing everything about the US – culture, thoughts, underlying narratives – not least because being constantly in the news and part of our (pop-)culture, but to them being only third generation European descendants. Still, two separate national narratives developed in each country since then.
Participants
Jürgen Hardt, @juergenhardt
Prof. Dr. Sabine Sielke
Dr. Peter Schierling
Organizers
North American Studies Program Bonn, @NAS_Bonn
Amerika Haus e.V. NRW, @AmerikaHausNRW
Storify (closed May 16th, 2018)
