January 10, 2019

Wait Just a Minute: Karen Donfried

Our web series, Wait Just a Minute, asks experts to answer complex questions about global affairs in 60 seconds. In this episode, German Marshall Fund president and former member of the National Security Council, Karen Donfried answers questions on a post-Merkel Germany, if Russia can be contained without the United States, and why Americans should care about European affairs.

Wait Just a Minute: Karen Donfried


Is Germany ready for Angela Merkel's departure?

What we've seen recently is that German voters seem that they are ready for a post-Merkel Germany. We saw diminishing support for Merkel and her party in last fall's election, and in two recent state elections in Germany, her party and her sister party did not do well.

Can Europe contain Russia without the United States?

The US security guarantee to our European allies is a critical factor in deterring Russia from engaging in any aggressive military action.

Why should Americans care about European affairs?

The largest trade and investment relationship in the world is the the one between the United States and the European Union. Investment on both sides of the Atlantic create about 15 million jobs.

What's the best book you've read recently?

A book by Robert Kagan called The Jungle Grows Back. It's an evocative title! It's about the US role in the world.

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Archive

This Week's Reads - A Return to the Interwar Era

French President Emmanuel Macron's speech Sunday sounded more like desperation than hope, afraid that we may have already turned the corner into a world full of nationalism, populism, and competition.

| By Iain Whitaker

Podium Notes: Stoking Brexit From the Council

With Brexit drawing near, this an important moment to note that the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has not been a passive observer of the awkward association between Britain and Europe. On three separate occasions, at critical moments in the UK's relationship with Europe, the Council provided a platform for leading Conservative Party politicians to make waves from across the ocean. From the Council's archive emerges a curious tale of treachery, tantrums, angry editors, and airport pizza.

Wait Just a Minute: Michael Beschloss

In this episode, historian and author Michael Beschloss answers questions on presidential history, the system of checks and balances, and offers advice for President Trump and Congress.

| By John Austin

Germany Accelerates Change in Its “Rust Belt”

Both the United States and Germany are seeing evolving economies in their respective “rust belts,” formerly robust engines of the industrial era. Both are developing strategies to address these challenges but, unlike President Trump's approach, Germany is focused on accelerating change so the region will thrive in the future.

Wait Just a Minute: Francis Fukuyama

With midterm elections fast-approaching, professor and author Francis Fukuyama answers questions on the rise in identity politics, its effects on democracy, and how countries can build inclusive identities.

| By Angela Lee, Paul Schickler, Vivian Lin Thurston

Deep Dish: What's Happening to China's Economy?

The burgeoning US-China trade war has dominated headlines. But the larger story of China’s economy is just as intriguing—and is the subject of this week's Deep Dish podcast.

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