Beyond Domestic Politics: Energy Policy in the Transatlantic Relationship
On June 18, Philipp Rösler, Chairman of the FDP and German Minister of Economics and Technology, opened a visit to Washington, DC, with a speech on the three issues at …
What Does She Want?
I was speaking with a German friend at a European think tank a few days ago. He was swamped with press inquiries. “Journalists only want to know one thing,” he …
Europe’s Tightening Window of Opportunity
Joining the growing number of high profile warnings on the future of the European and world economies, World Bank researchers gravely take note of the euro zone’s eroding gross domestic …
The Decentralization of the Electricity Grid-Mitigating Risk in the Energy Sector
Ms. Kirsten Verclas urges that nations such as the U.S. and Germany move to create more regional electricity grids to decrease vulnerability of their electricity supply. Centralized energy grids are …
Recent Authors
AGI provides knowledge, insights, and networks as tools to solve the challenges ahead.
Support Our WorkNot in My Backyard: Communal Challenges to the Energiewende
In the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in 2011, pollsters consistently found that a majority of Germans supported the closing of Germany’s remaining nuclear power plants. The anti-atomic sentiment culminated …
Credit Ratings for Seven German Banks Downgraded
On Wednesday, the international agency Moody’s downgraded the credit rating for seven German financial institutions. Commerzbank AG, Germany’s second largest bank, stands among the downgraded financial institutions. Some experts contend …
Rajoy’s Cautionary Tale
More than anybody else Spanish Prime minister Mariano Rajoy embodies what many euro zone members nation’ leaders are going through. Caught in a purgatory, suspended between the proud defense of national sovereignty, the need for Euro zone financial solidarity and the powerful drift towards closer political integration, he is struggling to find the right balance and avoid catastrophe. After months full of missteps, even the proud Spaniard seems to have finally realized that there will be no safety for his country without further transfers of power towards Brussels.
A Volkswagen “Pivot” toward China?
In 2011, Volkswagen AG (VW) delivered 2.3 million cars in China, accounting for 27 percent of its total sales by volume. The importance of the Chinese market to VW, coupled …
Energy Security Risk Assessment: A Transatlantic Comparison
Despite facing similar challenges, the United States and Germany continually diverge in their creation of energy policy. Mr. Aki Kachi argues that Germany pursues risk-averse energy policy, citing the nation’s …
Volkswagen Outpaces Economic Forecasts While Southern European Car Sales Dwindle
This week, Volkswagen (VW) announced wage increases for over 100,000 workers in six of its plants in western Germany. Representatives of IG Metall and upper management of VW reached this …
