A Deeper Understanding…

By Jon Wright - Blog Entry II

From an American standpoint it is very interesting to get an inside view of the German perspective regarding the current financial crisis that plagues the European Union. Prior to our visit to the Federal Finance Ministry I was very interested in hearing proposals to help shed light on the ambiguity that shrouds the recent the Euro Crisis. Our lecturer began by enlightening our group on the difficulty of governing a multitude of different cultures under a single monetary structure and how difficulties regarding this concept have resulted in the need for reform. 

Surprisingly enough, the solutions provided seemed to only temporarily sustain the problem. Because the United States has been unified under the dollar since the Coinage Act of 1792 I feel as though many Americans don’t really take the time to consider the complexities surrounding the Eurozone and the difficulties of maintaining economic security when member nations inappropriately mismanage funds (i.e. Greece, Spain, Ireland etc.).

The lack of leadership due to the stigma left behind after World War II in relation to Germany became very evident throughout the week but no more so than on this visit.

The next meeting by far was the best part of the day for me.  Our meeting with the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Commission really made me thankful for deciding to go on this trip. The fact that he took the time out of his busy schedule to discuss The German Foreign Policy Agenda with us really reflected the benefits of studying abroad. It was interesting to hear the direction he wanted Germany to take regarding its relationship with Russia, and China.

Our last two meetings with Dr. Henning Riecke a specialist in German foreign policy and Dr. Joachim Bertele, who specializes in German and Russian affairs, really reaffirmed the general consensus of Germany needing to take a more prominent role in the European Union affairs abroad.  Today really made me feel like taking a much more active role in our on political structure. To hear these experts speak about the problems of their own country and constantly trying to find ways to improve its condition was truly enlightening.           

NATO's New Role As A Global Actor

by Rachel Casey - Blog Entry II 

Today was quite a busy day following a long and relaxing day in Paris. The day was filled with meetings including one at NATO Shape, one with the European People’s Party and finally dinner and a lecture with Dr. Stefan Gehrold, the Head of the European Office at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. The first lecture at NATO SHAPE was given by Colonel N.H. Johansen, who provided a general overview of NATO’s structure, its purpose, and some of its current missions. It was a good background that prepared us for our next speaker Major Ed Hardy. MAJ Hardy provided us with information on exactly what is done at SHAPE. At Shape they determine minimum capability requirements, which include both quantitative and qualitative lists along with priority shortfalls. They play an integral role in NATO’s Defense Planning Process. While I was too nervous to ask a question to MAJ Hardy during the meeting, I did get a chance to talk with him during lunch. I was interested in the measures that were being taken by NATO to prepare for potential cyber terrorism. It seems that NATO sees this as something important, but they are struggling with adding it into their policy but that they have set it up, and that it is something that should come up at the Chicago Summit, and as it turns out it did. There was also a later round table discussion that focused on NATO’s shift towards smart defense and a decrease on U.S. reliance. This too was discussed at the summit. I like that NATO is trying to get more members to contribute more capabilities so that the U.S. can stop bearing the majority of the burden. At the EPP we discussed multiple topics but I was most interested in the party’s perspective on the EURO crisis. We heard about the implications of a return to national currencies. Germany would end up suffering because the value of their currency would be so high that no one would be able to trade with them and southern countries such as Greece, would suffer massive inflation. Even if they wanted out, at this point pulling out would be devastating to all sides. We ended the evening with dinner and a lecture from Dr. Stefan Gehrold, who discussed the origins and the purpose of the foundation, which was initially to train Germany in democracy after the failure of it to take hold during the Weimar Republic. The foundation now has foreign offices open in over 100 countries which support about 200 programs, which help educate people around the world on the process of democracy.