Europe

Presidential and parliamentary elections, different economic models and approaches, cooperation and competition in energy policy – the Franco-German Future Dialogue 2012 featured discussions on a number of aspects regarding relations between the two countries. Entry-level professionals and doctoral candidates from Germany and France came together in Stuttgart for the opening seminar of the project, now in its sixth year.

Joint efforts are the only way for Europe to overcome the financial crisis and remain economically competitive, according to Louis Gallois, CEO of Europe’s largest aerospace company. The discussion included Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO of Air Berlin, and focused on analyzing Germany’s economic strength and France’s current economic malaise: “We can learn a lot from Germany.”

How can political decision-making processes be successfully influenced? How can messages be worded clearly and potential obstacles recognized early on? These questions were tackled by the 14 participants of the 2012 TRAIN programme – Think Tanks Providing Research and Advice through Interaction and Networking – in their opening seminar which took place from March 22 to 25, 2012.

Since the conservative Fidesz alliance received a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian parliamentary elections of 2010, Hungary has regularly attracted negative headlines. Is Hungarian democracy at risk? On March 12, this question was addressed by Prof. Dr. Ellen Bos, political scientist at the Andrássy University in Budapest, Gergely Prőhle, deputy state secretary at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and historian Dr. Krisztián Ungváry during a panel discussion at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

Kann die EU ihre CO2-Emissionsziele erreichen? Gelingt in Deutschland die Energiewende? Ist Schiefergas eine Alternative zu russischem Erdgas? Diese Fragen beschäftigten die Teilnehmer des Energiefrühstücks des Berthold-Beitz-Zentrums in Kooperation mit Gasprom. Sergei Komlew, Direktor für Vertragsstrukturierung und Preisbildung bei Gasprom Export, warb für Gas aus Russland ― es sichere eine stabile Energieversorgung.