Berlin – ESI at panel discussion on Smart Sovereignty: 10 Action Plans for the incoming German Federal Government

ESI’s Gerald Knaus was invited to participate in a panel discussion on Smart Sovereignty: More Capacity to act for German Foreign Policy organised by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

Gerald outlined the stance the new German government should take in the European migration debate. He stressed the danger of irregular crossings in the Mediterranean, pushbacks in the Balkans, and of waning support in the Turkish public for refugee protection. All of these challenges need a unified EU to tackle them and German Foreign policy has to seek partners in doing so.

The panel discussion was the conclusion of the DGAP project “Ideas Workshop on German Foreign Policy,” a ten-month process of reflection and strategy resulting in ten concrete action plans. Of those Gerald contributed two (English translations will be available in November):

• Aktionsplan Westlicher Balkan und EU-Nachbarschaft – Wie Deutschland zu dauerhaftem Frieden auf dem Balkan beitragen kann
• Aktionsplan Migration und Außenpolitik – Wie Deutschland die irreguläre Migration begrenzen und Flüchtlingen helfen kann

Other speakers were Daniela Schwarzer (Executive Director Europe and Eurasia, Open Society Foundations, Co-Chair of the “Ideas Workshop German Foreign Policy” Project), Kira Vinke (Head of the Centre for Climate and Foreign Policy, DGAP). The panel was moderated by Christian Mölling, DGAP Director of Research, Co-Chair of the project “Ideas Workshop German Foreign Policy”.