State of the Unions IV

Webinar, Tuesday, 9 November 2021

Nine months into the Biden Presidency, the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to its European allies as well as the expediency of working with its transatlantic partners, to achieve desired outcomes.

Given ongoing shifts in the international economic and political order, clearly there is no dearth of policy challenges that the United States and Europe could tackle together.

As part of the 4th annual “State of the Unions” conference, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) brought together leading European and U.S. experts and policy-makers to analyse some of the key strategic challenges facing both the United States and Europe and how they can better cooperate on these issues.

The conversations explored what strategies are most effective for dealing with the profound democratic challenges faced at home, and the strategic challenge posed by a rising China and some of the progressive strategies available to counter it.

Agenda

Welcome Dr Ian Lesser, Acting President, GMF

Session I: Defending Democracy at Home and Abroad

• The Hon. Tonino Picula, Member of the European Parliament
• Dr. Jonathan D. Katz, Director, Democracy Initiatives, GMF
• Dr. László Andor, Secretary General, Foundation for European Progressive Studies
• Dr Thomas Wright, Director, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institution

• Moderator: Mr Vassilis Ntousas, Senior Policy Advisor- International Relations, Foundation for European Progressive Studies

Session II: Dealing with a Rising China

• Mr Thorsten Brenner, Director, Global Public Policy Institute
• Ms Jennifer Harris, Senior Director for International Economics & Labor, National Security Council
• Prof. Stephen Walt, Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
• Moderator: Mr Andrew Small, Senior Transatlantic Fellow, Asia Program, The German Marshall Fund of the United States