Heidelberg – ESI on transatlantic relations at the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut

4 March 2026
Gerald at the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut. Photo: Deutsch Amerikanisches Institut
Gerald at the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut. Photo: Deutsch Amerikanisches Institut

ESI’s Gerald Knaus gave a speech at the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut (DAI) in Heidelberg. The DAI is a cultural institution dedicated to increasing transatlantic dialogue and cooperation.

Gerald began by arguing that the projects of European and transatlantic integration are facing their most serious tests since the end of the Cold War. For decades, the stability and prosperity of Europe have depended not only on cooperation within the European Union, but also on a broader transatlantic partnership that anchored democratic values and collective security. This included deep political integration within the EU and major security integration within NATO. This combination has led to war becoming unthinkable for much of Europe, whose sense of stability has only recently been shattered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Trump’s threats against Denmark.

These developments are real threats to peace and prosperity trans-Atlantic integration have enabled. In this context, Gerald argued, democratic actors on both sides of the Atlantic must not give in to pessimism or nostalgia. Instead, we must speak out with even more conviction and clarity about the great successes of integration and the importance of defending the liberal order against a return to nationalist confrontation.