Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2021
Chances in Change: German Foreign Policy in an Era of Transformation
Held only months after the election, the Berlin Forum on 23 November 2021 offered exclusive insights into Germany’s foreign policy agenda in the post-Merkel era. Under the heading of “Chances in Change: German Foreign Policy in an Era of Transformation”, participants discussed the most important foreign policy challenges for a new German government and Europe. What should Europe expect from German foreign policy under a new government – continuity or change? How should Europe position itself in the intensifying tech competition between the U.S. and China? Can combatting climate change introduce a new era of multilateral cooperation? To what extent can the EU still contribute to stability and prosperity in its eastern and south-eastern neighbourhood? These and more questions were addressed in the 10-year-anniversary edition of the Berlin Forum.
Agenda
09.00 – 09.30
Opening Remarks
- Thomas Paulsen, Member of the Executive Board, Körber-Stiftung
Welcome Address
- Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany
09.30 – 10.30
Future-proof? Germany and Europe in an Era of Transformation
- Nathalie Loiseau, MP, Chair, Subcommittee on Security and Defence; Renew Europe Group, European Parliament
- Franziska Brantner, MdB, Parliamentary Whip for the Parliamentary Group of Alliance90/The Greens, German Bundestag
- Bernadett Szél, MP, Member, Committee on European Affairs, Országgyűlés (Hungarian National Assembly)
- Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies, University of Oxford
Moderation: Shakuntala Banerjee, Deputy Head, Berlin Studio, ZDF
11.00 – 11.45
Conversation with …
- Rangin Dadfar Spanta, former Foreign Minister and National Security Advisor, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Moderation: Nora Müller, Executive Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung
11.45 – 12.15
The Berlin Pulse 2021/22 – Transatlantic Relations in an Era of Transformation
In Cooperation with Pew Research Center.
Interactive Presentation by
- Liana Fix, Programme Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung
- James Bell, Vice President of Global Strategy, Pew Research Center
12.30 – 13.45
Breakout Session 1 – Ambitious France, Reluctant Europe?
In Cooperation with Institut Montaigne
- Sylvie Goulard, former Member, European Parliament
- Michel Duclos, Senior Advisor, Institut Montaigne
Moderation: Georgina Wright, Senior Fellow and Director, Europe Program, Institut Montaigne
12.30 – 13.45
Breakout Session 2 – The Geneva Conventions in the Digital Age
- Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross
- Marietje Schaake, International Director of Policy, Cyber Policy Center, Stanford University; President, CyberPeace Institute
Moderation: Alisa Vogt, Programme Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung
12.30 – 13.45
Breakout Session 3 – Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in International Affairs
In Cooperation with Paris Peace Forum
- Trisha Shetty, Founder, SheSays; President of the Steering Committee, Paris Peace Forum
Moderation: Ronja Scheler, Programme Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung
13.00 – 14.00
Breakout Session 4 – Transatlantic China Policy: Perspectives from Berlin and Washington
In Cooperation with Pew Research Center
- Petra Sigmund, Director General for Asia and the Pacific, Federal Foreign Office
- Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director, Indo-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security; former Senior Director for South and Central Asia, U.S. National Security Council
Including a presentation of survey results by
- Jacob Poushter, Associate Director of Global Attitudes Research, Pew Research Center, and Julia Ganter, Editor The Berlin Pulse, Körber-Stiftung.
Moderation: Andrew Cohen, Communications Director, Pew Research Center
14.00 – 15.00
The Geopolitics of the Digital Transformation
- Eva-Maria Liimets, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Estonia
- YAN Xuetong, President, Carnegie-Tsinghua Management Board; Dean, Institute of Modern International Relations, Tsinghua University
- Nadia Schadlow, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute; former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy, U.S. National Security Council
Moderation: Stormy-Annika Mildner, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Germany
Followed by Deep Dive on Gaming and International Relations with Manouchehr Shamsrizi, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), and Kaspar Meyer, Federal Foreign Office
15.30 – 16.45
The EU’s Neighbourhood: From Transformation to Stabilization?
- Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President, Republic of Kosovo
- Stefano Sannino, Secretary General, European External Action Service
- Fiona Hill, Robert Bosch Senior Fellow, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institution; former Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs, U.S. National Security Council
- Andreas Nick, Vice-President, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
- With a video message by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Leader of the Belarus Opposition
Moderation: Liana Fix, Programme Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung
Followed by Deep Dive on Populism and Current Threats to Democracy with Fiona Hill
16.45 – 17.30
Lessons Learned for the Green Transformation
- Nick Bridge, Special Representative for Climate Change, United Kingdom
- María Fernanda Espinosa, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy; President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2018-2019)
- Parag Khanna, Founder & Managing Partner, FutureMap
Moderation: Nora Müller, Executive Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung
18.00 – 18.30
Spotlight Interview
In Cooperation with Der Spiegel
- Omid Nouripour, MdB, Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Parliamentary Group of Alliance90/The Greens, German Bundestag
Moderation: Britta Sandberg, Paris Bureau Chief, Der Spiegel