Democracies under Pressure: Challenges for the Global Liberal Order

1014 and the American Council on Germany invite experts from both sides of the Atlantic to virtual conversations. Liberal democracies are already under pressure to find ways in which to engage autocratic regimes to solve global crisis such as the ongoing pandemic and mounting climate change, but Putin’s war in Ukraine has underscored another challenge to democracy. Will the liberal, rules-based world order survive this blatant breach of sovereignty and humanitarian law that multilateral organizations have been unable to prevent or stop?

 

COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have created huge disruptions – with lasting implications at the global, national, and local levels. Although some concerns about the pandemic have subsided, the medical community is talking about a “tripledemic” as the year draws to a close. The enduring public health crisis and the war have led to supply chains disruptions, food shortages, and rising prices for commodities like energy and food. What are the economic and social impacts of the myriad crises we are facing? And, how can they be addressed? By government? Business? Civil society? We will be joined by Prof. Dr. h.c. Jutta Allmendinger, President, WZB Berlin Social Science Center and Professor of Educational Sociology and Labor Market Research, Humboldt University in Berlin; and Dr. Adam Tooze, Shelby Cullom Davis Chair of History and Director of the European Institute, Columbia University, to look at the economic and social impact of the simultaneous crises we are facing. The discussion will be moderated by journalist Ines Pohl, Washington bureau chief for Deutsche Welle.

Finding Common Ground: German and U.S. Policies Toward China

December 7, 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February recalibrated the attention of the transatlantic community toward Europe, while pushing the longer-term challenges posed by China to the backburner. Yet, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “pro-Russia” neutrality in the Ukraine conflict and joint efforts by Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin to weaken the liberal rules-based order have not gone unnoticed in European capitals and Washington DC. In addition, persistent concerns about Chinese human rights abuses, influence operations in Europe, unfair trade practices, economic coercion, and military pressure on Taiwan make it likely that China will remain high on the transatlantic agenda. We will be joined by Sinologists Dr. Kristin Shi-Kupfer, Professor for Sinology at the University of Trier and a Senior Associate Fellow at MERICS, and Yun Sun, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center.

Food Security and the Economic Implications of the War in Ukraine

November 16, 2022

The war in Ukraine has implications that reach far beyond its borders. The conflict has exacerbated critical issues in many parts of the world – like food insecurity. During the war, we have seen food prices increase as Ukraine (one of the world’s “bread baskets”) has come under attack. Grain prices have vacillated as shipping lanes through the Black Sea have opened and closed. Featuring experts Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, CEO and Managing Director, Food Systems for the Future; former Executive Director, United Nations World Food Program, and Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG Think Tank for Sustainability.

Global Trends in Authoritarian Interference in Elections

November 15, 2022

Democratic backsliding has become a defining trend in global politics over the past two decades. This has authoritarianism and authoritarian regimes to gain more traction around the world. One of the many mechanisms for “antidemocratic” leaders is the interference in elections, be it in their own countries or in other countries. Featuring experts Dr. John Glenn, Senior Director of the National Endowment for Democracy’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, and Sarah Pagung, Associate Fellow in the International Order and Democracy Program at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

The ‘Democratic Fallout’ of the War in Ukraine

October 11, 2022

With a forced referendum in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine and the proclaimed annexation of these four territories by Russia, democracy and sovereignty of a former Soviet state are once again undercut by hegemonial aspirations and big power competition. At the same time, Russians are fleeing their homeland in large numbers after President Putin announced that he would draft 300,000 reservists. With Dr. Alexander Cooley, Claire Tow Professor of Political Science and Vice Provost for Academic Centers and Libraries at Barnard College, and Prof. Dr. Gwendolyn Sasse, Director of the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS).

Energy Security and the War in Ukraine

June 21, 2022

The American Council and 1014 hosted a virtual conversation with Samantha Gross, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution, and Rainer Quitzow, whose research focuses on sustainable innovation, industrial policy, and governance of the energy transition in Germany and beyond. Speakers discussed the impact of the war in Ukraine on global energy markets and energy security in Europe.

The War in Ukraine - What’s at Stake?

May 24, 2022

What does the war in Ukraine mean for European security? Will Putin’s actions set a precedent for conflicts in other parts of the world? With Dr. Liana Fix, Program Director in the International Affairs Department of the Körber Foundation in Berlin, and Dr. Michael Kimmage, Professor of History at the Catholic University of America.

What are the risks for Ukraine and the international community if Putin would fear for his own security – and that of his regime? With Benjamin Denison, data scientist, political scientist, and international security and foreign policy expert, about the temptation to induce regime change and the reality of doing so.