Political Change in Europe and America and Its Impact on the Alliance

Significant political changes are on the horizon in a number of major European countries and the United States. In Germany, Angela Merkel has already become the country’s first female chancellor and has pursued a different foreign policy from that of her predecessor. France is gearing up for historic presidential and parliamentary elections, with Ségolène Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy among the leading candidates. In Britain, with Tony Blair on the way out, observers are wondering what the country will be like under Gordon Brown or David Cameron. And in the U.S., the outcome of the congressional elections could be seen as a referendum on President Bush’s foreign policy.

On November 2, leading experts will the impact of these developments on the domestic and foreign policies of these key transatlantic actors. Participants included Christoph Bertram, former director of the German Institute for International & Security Affairs; Charles Grant, director of the London-based Centre for European Reform; Nicolas de Boisgrollier, visiting fellow, the Brookings Institution; and Tom Mann, senior fellow, the Brookings Institution. Philip Gordon, senior fellow, the Brookings Institution, moderated the panel discussion.