Germany’s EU Presidency
Priorities for Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship
Germany takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July 1 through December 31, 2020, at a crucial time for Europe. Foreign Minister Maas recently dubbed this Germany’s “Corona Presidency.” The agenda likely will be dominated by the EU’s extraordinary measures to respond to the economic and public health consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, along with the negotiations of the EU budget for the next seven years. Berlin will also have the task of managing Europe’s approach to China, as Beijing’s policies come under increasing criticism in Europe. Policies toward Russia, Africa, and the Middle East will also require Europe’s attention, and Germany’s presidency will coincide with the end of the UK’s scheduled transition period, the final conclusion of Brexit.
How will Germany seek to move the EU forward on the unprecedented public health and economic crises, along with major foreign policy challenges? How will EU relations with the U.S. develop during the presidency, and what concrete initiatives will the transatlantic community pursue?
Join us for this webinar with German Ambassador
Emily Haber to hear first-hand perspectives on the European agenda for the coming six months.
Emily Margarethe Haber has been German Ambassador to the United States since June 2018. Prior to her transfer to Washington, DC, she served in various leadership functions at the Foreign Office in Berlin. In 2009, she was appointed Political Director and, in 2011, State Secretary, the first woman to hold either post. Thereafter, she was deployed to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, serving as State Secretary in charge of homeland security and migration policy from 2014 until 2018.
Emily Haber has many years of experience with Russia and the former Soviet Union. She held various posts at the German Embassy in Moscow, including Head of the Political Department. At the Foreign Office in Berlin, she served as Head of the OSCE Division and as Deputy Director-General for the Western Balkans, among other positions.
Support for this event was generously provided by The German Marshall Fund of the United States.
