Where do we go from here? The Transatlantic Relationship in 2025

Join the American Council on Germany and the Goethe-Institut for the latest installment in our Foreign Correspondent Unplugged series, which delves into current political debates on both sides of the Atlantic. Journalists McKay Coppins, Staff Writer at The Atlantic, and Rieke Havertz, International Correspondent for ZEIT ONLINE, will discuss what European leaders and policymakers are monitoring, will explore the potential shifts in transatlantic relations, and will forescast how President Trump's foreign policies may impact European economies, security, diplomacy, and broader international alliances. The event will be moderated by the President of the American Council on Germany, Dr. Steven E. Sokol.

ABOUT THE PANEL:

McKay Coppins is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers politics, religion, and national affairs. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Romney: A Reckoning, a biography of Mitt Romney published by Scribner in 2023, and The Wilderness, a 2015 book about the battle for the future of the Republican Party. A former visiting fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, Mr. Coppins has won the Aldo Beckman Award from the White House Correspondents Association for his coverage of the Trump presidency and the Wilbur Award for religion journalism. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his wife and children.
Rieke Havertz, International Correspondent for ZEIT ONLINE, currently based in Washington D.C. She writes about current developments in and from various countries, with a focus on the USA, as well as about German foreign policy. Ms. Havertz also co-hosts the podcast “OK, America?”. She was previously ZEIT ONLINE’s U.S. correspondent in Washington, D.C., from August to January 2022 and then again from August 2022 to February 2023. She has been at ZEIT ONLINE since May 2016, initially as editorial manager. She previously served as head of department at taz.de. She studied journalism and American studies at the University of Leipzig and Ohio University.
Dr. Steven E. Sokol is the President and CEO of the American Council on Germany. Previously, he served as President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and prior to that he was the Vice President and Director of Programs at the American Council on Germany. He holds a Doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University as well as an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. He has also studied at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg and as a Fulbright Scholar at the Freie Universität in Berlin. Dr. Sokol is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on several advisory boards. He was awarded a Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit) for his work to strengthen German-American relations.

Host or Publisher Goethe-Institut and ICWA